The island teems with wildlife, many of which would as soon munch on a vine or eat a ripened grape in preference to more conventional grazing. The deer and feral goats are kept from the vineyards by miles of high fences for continued harmonious coexistence. Eagles, hawks and other predators assist in protection of the ripened grapes from the other birds. Miles of netting complete the job.For years, a family of Peregrine Falcons has made its home in a small cave high on the cliff overlooking the vineyard. We have worked with the Islands Trust and the Ministry of the Environment to ensure that our operations will not interfere with the lifestyle of the Falcons who remain on the Endangered Species List. We have agreed with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to dedicate a buffer zone between our vineyards and the nesting site as an environmental reserve to protect the natural habitat. As stewards of the land and, mindful of its history, we wish to allow the vineyards to be a part of the natural environment.
We support the initiatives of a local island group to restock streams with salmon eggs and fingerlings and to restablish the salmon population. Manpower, equipment and materials have been donated to the enhancement program resulting in the establishment of hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs in the spawning grounds.
