Conservation: Goats and Sheep!

If you live in the Mid-South, you know that grass and other vegetation grows quickly in the early summer months.  You may not know that Wolf River Conservancy manages land that is best kept in a grass-and-wildflower state (a.k.a., Native Warm Season Grasses and Wildflowers – NWSG for short).  Many species of birds, such as bluebirds, and countless pollinator insects rely on these habitats.  Traditional management of these areas includes primarily brush hogging and fire where appropriate.  Conditions are not always appropriate to burn or bring in heavy machinery, so the Conservancy is seeking a more ecologically balanced approach.  Through the Conservancy’s work with ReGraze (https://regraze.org/), goats and sheep are curtailing invasive plant species, restoring soil health, and promoting biodiversity by maintaining early successional NWSG habitats.  The sheep and goats get a healthy diet, and the habitat gets the management it needs for a diversity of butterflies, bees, and birds.  If you are lucky to be on the Epping Way section of the Greenway in the Raleigh neighborhood early in the morning, you just may hear bleating sheep doing their ecological service.