Biodiversity in Biodynamics

In honor of World Wildlife Day, we thought it would be appropriate to share more about the Frey Nature Reserve. One of the distinctions of being a certified Biodynamic® vineyard is that we are required to set aside 10% of the land to protect the native species and wild lands that farmland has historically been encroaching on. We talk more about this topic in our podcast on Biodynamics. In brief though, Katrina Frey served on the Demeter USA board for many years, and helped shape the Biodynamic wine standard worldwide. One of the projects she is particularly excited about is the 10% for Biodiversity program, in which every certified Biodynamic winery protects native habitat for biodiversity. At Frey, our wild lands vastly outnumber our developed vineyards with only about 20% of the land being farmed in grapes! In fact, Jonathan Frey spent years ensuring that a grove of redwoods with some old growth surrounding the vineyards would be protected in perpetuity by placing hundreds acres in a land trust.

Critter Cams

As a practice of learning about the wildlife that also calls this land home, we have set up critter cams to help us see who is here, how they behave, and where they are drawn to. Nathaniel Frey diligently chooses spots that are likely to have some critter traffic when placing the cams: near springs, on logs, by rock outcroppings, and beneath the cover of large trees. Then, Nathaniel collects the cams and edits them into full-length “best of” videos to show what we see from year to year. What better way to celebrate World Wildlife Day here at Frey Vineyards, than by enjoying the critter cams from our neck of the woods!

At present, Nathaniel has edited up to 2023’s critters. The long-form videos are all featured on our YouTube channel. Molly Frey then edits Nathaniel’s edits, using the individual clips to make short reels for our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. We love making these videos accessible because they show another side of Frey Vineyards —the real behind-the-scenes looks at what life is like on the land here in Mendocino County, in Northern California.

Best of 2021 Critter Cam

Each year, we are presented with a wealth of critters showing up. In that way, every day is World Wildlife day at the Frey Nature Reserve! We’re excited to share the “Best of” Critter Cams from 2021, 2022, and 2023! Each year, we get to see new vignettes, captured in places where humans don’t often go. In that way, we are offered a glimpse into the unexpected happenings of the wildlife! A favorite moment from the 2021 cams is the bear making and then enjoying a mud bath!

Best of 2022 Critter Cam

In the 2022 Critter Cam, we’re celebrating another diverse round of critters for World Wildlife Day! In addition to several songbirds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, and bats near the spring, we get to see a whole bear family enjoying a mud bath! Perhaps the bear we witnessed back in 2021 is returning to teach her youngsters about a good soak? Additionally, we get glimpses of a ringtail, which is a very elusive animal, rarely seen by humans. What’s more, there are several interspecies interactions! A rendezvous between a gray squirrel and a Steller’s jay, a late-night drink for a grey fox and a bat, an evening amble with a skunk and a fox, and an evening encounter between a deer and a raccoon all made the greatest hits for 2022.

Best of 2023 Critter Cam

The 2023 critter cam highlights the amazing snowfall we had that year. You get to see the critters amidst a winter wonderland! And when the snow melted, there were lots of waterways to attract animals for a cold drink!

Stewardship

As a small family business, Frey Vineyards is invested in the health of the land in a big way. The family members live here in Redwood Valley and call this land home. We believe that we are the stewards of this place. By growing organically, we are doing our best to sustain healthy practices on the land. We know that organic agriculture supports healthy water, healthy soil, and a healthy food web. The Freys are some of the animals that live here, and we’re committed to best practices for both ourselves and all the others that live here, too!

In 2017, a wildfire burnt through the Frey property, devastating homes for both humans and the animals here. While we started setting up and watching the critter cams before the fires, it has been a very healing practice to see the abundance of life returning and flourishing here in the hills around Frey Vineyards once more. Part of our healing has been in the witnessing of the wildlife that has been able to return, thrive, and raise offspring here once again. Cheers to World Wildlife Day, and we hope that you’ll enjoy these critter cam compilations as much as we have!