On May 29th 2008 the Press Democrat newspaper published an article Burning Hawk Starts Vineyard Fire. At first glance, this was an unusual story about a hawk (species unknown) that was electrocuted, caught fire and in-turn started another blaze at the edge of a vineyard in Windsor, California. But after looking deeper, this innocent hawk’s story opened our eyes to the impact our energy system has on birds and wildlife. Because of the vineyard connection a clear vision emerged – to create the Burning Hawk philanthropic wine brand dedicated to saving other birds from the same peril. We were encouraged to make this vision take flight by dozens of birders, business executives, conservation organizations, vintners, friends and family. We began studying the issues and networking to bring Burning Hawk Wine to market less than 3 months.
During this journey we have been honored to connect with organizations and individuals from many walks of life. Everyone has been extremely helpful by sharing referrals and tips, ranging from the Windsor Fire Department who first responded to the “Burning Hawk blaze,” to pioneering conservation groups such as the National Audubon Society, California Audubon, Echo Films, The Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, PG&E and the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee. Please see our acknowledgements page for the complete list of contributors.
We knew about the impact of wind mills on thousands of birds and bats but were astonished to learn that millions of birds in the US are killed through collisions or electrocutions with powerline infrastructure. The species killed range from Bald and Golden Eagles to Hawks, Falcons, Owls and many others. This isn’t just a US problem. It’s a global problem, expanding in unison with growing human populations and their thirst for energy. Moreover, utilities such as PG&E estimate that as much as 25% of costly power outages are caused by wildlife and bird interactions. Clearly, we depend on the valuable energy and “the power grid” but does it have to be delivered with such collateral damage?
In recent decades others have asked similar questions. Pioneers as Morlan “Morley” Nelsen, Echo Films and progressive utility groups such as APLIC have made remarkable progress addressing what scientists term “Avian Energy System Interaction.” As a result of multiple interviews, dozens of phone calls and hundreds of emails we have developed an enormous respect for this problem solving work. But there is always room for more help, right? To us the answer is “Yes!” and all of you can contribute by enjoying Burning Hawk wines and getting involved.
We invite you to enjoy two exceptionally fine Burning Hawk wines; an ultra-premium Napa Valley Red, crafted in the Bordeaux style of winemaking, and an Alexander Valley Chardonnay which comes from one of the top Chardonnay winegrowing regions in the world. Both wines are crafted by the acclaimed winemaking and farming team led by Winemaker Marco DiGiulio who Wine Spectator Magazine hailed as “one of Napa’s leading wine consultants.”
We hope you enjoy these wines…and keep coming back to enjoy them again…all the while knowing that your purchase will lead to results by supporting key projects and organizations who play a critical and often undervalued role in birds of prey and energy system management. Over time we will provide you with feedback to demonstrate our results. We will also be giving you the opportunity to join us on this journey by interacting with our website, contributing to our blog and uploading photos to the “Bird Energy Network” photo gallery. As much as possible we will look to you for feedback at some of the key decision points that determine where and how we focus our energy.
We raise a glass to the spirit of the Burning Hawk and thank you for your business and support.
Cheers!
The Burning Hawk Team |
