EuroEnergy welcomes Barn Owls to establish entirely Green Parks
31 Jan 2023
Energy and nature work together to shape our environmental future. EuroEnergy takes energy transition one step further by establishing four entirely green parks, accommodating sheep and Tyto birds.
The Barn owl (Tyto) is a nocturnal avian species contributing to agriculture and agroecosystem management worldwide, which preys exclusively on rodents and is considered a natural pest-rodent control agent globally. Capitalizing on the advantages of dual-use technology, EuroEnergy partners with the Association for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems, “TYTO”. Founded in 2020, TYTO Association focuses on reconnecting agricultural management with biodiversity conservation and wildlife. In the context of this partnership, TYTO has installed artificial nest boxes in the PV parks of EuroEnergy at Viotia, Magnesia, and Fthiotida to offer potential breeding sites for the nocturnal raptor Barn owl.
It’s important to note that Barn owls, which are attached to humans, are found exclusively in agricultural ecosystems, and mainly breed in human structures. Thus, the installment of nest boxes constitutes an environment-friendly approach to forge a safe network of activity, roosting, and stabilization of this extraordinary species, the population of which presents globally a decreasing trend.
Through this initiative, EuroEnergy protects the flora that grows in its parks along with its equipment naturally. Conventional means of managing the rodent population, including rodenticides, are widely recognized as harmful to our ecosystem and biodiversity and may have a powerful impact on public health as they transfer to agricultural products.
An outstanding example of Barn owl contribution to agricultural management is the case of Israel. The strategic installation of Barn owl nest boxes in the vast majority of agricultural areas around the country has decreased rodenticides application by 60-70% since 1982.
Welcoming Barn owls in renewables is a green initiative to decrease the vast financial losses –hundreds of millions annually- in agricultural production by pests and rodents, reinstall the imbalance in species population and prevent ecosystem disruption. Observing nature and following its path is the only way forward for a sustainable future.
Photograph: NPO "TYTO"