Birdlife & Biodiversity in Vineyards

At Saffron Grange we were delighted to have had the opportunity to support Dr Natalia Zielonka, of UEA’s School of Biological Sciences, in her recent research into biodiversity and birdlife in vineyards.

Dr Natalia Zielonka’s findings from work conducted during visits to Saffron Grange and other English vineyards suggest that outdoor businesses can improve their customer experience by investing in increased biodiversity of their sites which in turn increase birdsong and other ‘natural soundscapes’.

Dr Natalia Zielonka and her team hid speakers along tour routes at vineyards including at Saffron Grange Vineyard which played pre-recorded birdsong to some tour groups, creating ‘enhanced soundscapes.’

At the end of tours, feedback was collected from visitors through surveys to measure their experience.

The results of the surveys indicated that visitors who were exposed to enhanced soundscapes had an improved tour experience and said they felt more engrossed and freer from work, routine and responsibility feeling noticeably more relaxed and optimistic during the tours.

Saffron Grange Vineyard Manager Paul Harrison, said, ‘Here at Saffron Grange, we are dedicated to growing exceptional grapes for quality sparkling wine as well as being custodians of the land that provides the resources for this. Therefore, we take a holistic approach of supporting the ecosystem through biodiversity to regenerate the environment we are in. Any study or research that enables us to better understand this environment and how we can work with it is always going to get the go ahead from us….There are so many positives to having a thriving ecosystem and all of us who work here know the physical and mental wellbeing benefits that it provides.’

“Most of us in the team have come from corporate backgrounds and so are able to appreciate being in nature compared to in an office environment.”

“It goes to show how important nature is for humanity on so many levels and hopefully a study like this supports more investment and help in retaining as well as improving our natural environments.”

“For me personally it is very noticeable how I feel physically and mentally when I do a day at my desk here compared to a day out in the vineyard so in that respect, I was not surprised by the findings at all. What was surprising is the significant impact that birdsong has on people and then the further impact playing recordings then had. It goes to show how important nature is for humanity on so many levels and hopefully a study like this supports more investment and help in retaining as well as improving our natural environments.”

“As a result of Natalia’s research, we developed an understanding of what we can do to further improve our site to benefit bird life in particular. For example, we cut our hedges every three years, but we realise now that we could cut them with a point (similar to a traditional house roof rather than a flat top) which would promote an even better habitat. We could start incorporating even more diverse grasses and bird seed mixes into our ground cover with a specific view to supporting Finches and Turtle Doves.”