First year of the Barn Owl repopulation project in Azagra vineyards

One year ago, Bodegas Manzanos started an innovative project to repopulate the Barn Owl in our vineyards in Azagra, in order to naturally control the plague of voles and reduce the use of pesticides. Thanks to the controlled release of captive-bred chicks and scientific monitoring with GPS and video surveillance, we have already observed the reoccupation of nesting boxes by breeding pairs and a 30% reduction in vole activity in the pilot plots. This project not only helps to preserve local biodiversity but has also reduced the use of pesticides in the pilot plots. This project has been very well received by our technical and field team, who value the increase in biodiversity and the reduction of chemicals. We continue to work to strengthen a more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural model.among the challenges for the coming years is to increase the number of releases to ensure the viability of the population and increase awareness among farmers and local communities.the collaboration between Bodegas Manzanos, the Tierra Rapaz Park and the University of Navarra has been fundamental to the initial success of this sustainable initiative that unites agriculture and environmental conservation.