Prescribed Urban Grazing for invasive plant removal is a very effective tool using carefully managed sheep to save trees, restore woodlands and encourage people to interact with nature and neighbors by removing invasive plants. From small residential yards engulfed in English ivy to acres of public green space, we have rescued hundreds of properties in NE Georgia allowing native plants, animals, and humans to reclaim their landscapes promoting health, happiness and spiritual refreshment while improving the functions of our local ecosystems.

Sheep are fast, friendly and fun; results are dramatic. With the exception of a few toxic plants including cherry laurel, vinca, mohonia, and a few others, the sheep will eat everything green within browse height converting a tremendous amount of vegetation into pelleted, organic, slow release, plant nutrients. 25 sheep can defoliate an acre of English ivy in a week to 10 days, and faster on kudzu. Yes, it will grow back. What, where, how long established, weather and sunlight will determine how fast but properly timed follow up treatments will exhaust reserves and eliminate the offenders.

Saving threatened trees and restoring the valuable woodlands of Athens parks is our goal. We have the sheep, equipment and experience to get rid of the English ivy and kudzu killing our trees. It is well proven that people benefit from spending time in a natural environment. I like to say that the converse is also true: that for urban green space, people are the keystone species as it will not survive without them spending time there and loving it. So goes my effort to save the planet by getting the invasive plants out and the people into our urban woodlands using the most fun and effective tool available: Prescribed urban grazing with sheep.