Trees Atlanta will return this week with its herd of sheep to help control Japanese hops, kudzu and other invasive plants on the steep slope between Section 14 and the creek at the Decatur Cemetery.
“Sheep offer a low-impact solution for controlling invasive plants on hard to maintain sites,” said Trees Atlanta Forest Restoration Coordinator Brian Williams. “As long as the sites do not contain sensitive or endangered plants that we want to keep safe, sheep can graze and help us eliminate invasive plants until they are gone,” he continued. Trees Atlanta led the recent woodland restoration effort in the stream corridor on the east side of the Cemetery.
The sheep in this program are protected by a human shepherd and livestock guardian dogs, and the sites are surrounded by solar powered, low-voltage electrified fencing to keep the sheep safe and on-task while they are working. The work is expected to take 7 to 10 days at the Cemetery.
Trees Atlanta has used sheep to help eradicate invasive plants at Decatur Cemetery, the Atlanta Beltline, Chastain Park, Kirkwood Forest, Morningside Nature Preserve, Candler Park, Herbert Green Nature Preserve, Perkerson Park and other green spaces in metro Atlanta. The sheep are provided by Ewe-niversally Green, a local firm that specializes in environmentally sound conservation techniques.
For more information about Trees Atlanta and Ewe-niversally Green, see www.treesatlanta.org and www.eweniversallygreen.com.
