Trees Atlanta uses sheep to keep greenspaces clear. The sheep are especially effective at removing kudzu, which can grow a foot a day during the summer.
The event at Chastain Park offered a variety of opportunities for the public to engage with the sheep.
One of the sheep gobbles down the last of a kudzu vine.
Owen Radics, seven, calls his mom over to watch him feed the sheep.
Arriving early and staying late, kids lined the fence trying to entice the herd with handfuls of invasive vines.
Luke McCullough, seven, glues sheep’s wool (cotton balls) to a plastic hard-hat.
Airleys Gartland, six, and her little brother, Jones, at the crafts station.
The sheep drew a sizable crowd, but it was still smaller than the 950 that came to last year’s event.
Beryl Bergquist, a Trees Atlanta volunteer, shows off some examples of invasive plants.
Jack Abershire, almost two, enjoys the snacks.
Brian Cash, owner of Ewe-iversally Green, carries two kittens he was hoping would be adopted.
Kyle, one of Cash’s sheep dogs, was curious about the kittens.
Kyle’s curiosity quickly changed to no-nonsense corralling with a quick whistle from Cash.
It’s thanks to help from dogs like Kyle that Cash can transport his herds around Atlanta singlehandedly.
Kyle makes sure no sheep wander off.
Ewe-niversally Green’s flock includes sheep and a few rescue goats.
The herd’s grazing spot in Chastain Park is marked by a temporary electric fence.
Sheep can clear any greenery up to six feet from the forest floor.
Before and after. The sheep will have to be moved to a new spot in a few days.
Sheep dogs like Kyle “do the same, if not more, work as a human,” says Cash.
On Friday morning, Trees Atlanta invited curious Atlantans to meet the kudzu-consuming sheep it hires to clear greenspaces each summer. The “Breakfast with the Sheep” event at Chastain Park Conservancy was equal parts family-fun (Crafts! Snacks courtesy of Costco Brookhaven!) and educational seminar (Instruction about the dangers of invasive species like English Ivy and kudzu!).
Trees Atlanta contracts sheep services from EWE-niversally Green, the company whose four-legged staff also grooms grass at the Atlanta airport. Using sheep is a simple yet effective way to clear overgrown areas without relying on harsh chemicals or extensive human labor.
If you missed out on this chance to meet the flock, don’t despair: The sheep will put in another public appearance at Tree Atlanta’s October 12 tree sale event.
