ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥

For the fifth straight year the Trust for Gov?er?nors Island is proud to wel?come a fam?i?ly of five sheep for their sum?mer land?scap?ing jobs. Hail?ing from in Albany these sheep will spend the next five months munch?ing away on mug?wort, phrag?mites and oth?er inva?sive species, free?ing up the Island¡¯s hor?ti?cul?ture team to do more impor?tant work. Evening, Chad, and Philip Aries, Jupiter, and Bowie are return?ing to Gov?er?nors Island for their fourth sea?son and will spend anoth?er sum?mer eat?ing inva?sive plants in Ham?mock Grove. 

The sheep pro?vide eco-friend?ly land?scape care that ensures the area¡¯s bio?di?ver?si?ty can thrive for years to come and allows the Trust¡¯s hor?ti?cul?ture team to use their time and tal?ents to focus on cul?ti?vat?ing an immer?sive, cli?mate resilient, eco?log?i?cal?ly ben?e?fi?cial open space where all New York?ers are able to learn from and recon?nect with nature. Sheep are also unique?ly suit?ed to the work on Gov?er?nors Island, more so than goats or oth?er ani?mals, since their culi?nary tastes do not include tree bark. The sheep eat around the young trees in Ham?mock Grove and focus on phrag?mites and oth?er del?i?ca?cies, while goats would devour vir?tu?al?ly any plant life they could get their hooves on?¡ª?inva?sive or not.

Since this pro?gram first start?ed in 2021 the sheep have eat?en through more than 15 acres worth of inva?sive plant species. This work freed up thou?sands of work hours for the human beings that make up the Gov?er?nors Island hor?ti?cul?ture team, allow?ing them to focus on more impor?tant tasks. That includ?ed build?ing and land?scap?ing new path?ways in Ham?mock Grove that vis?i?tors to the Island can enjoy, among oth?er items.

Sev?er?al pub?lic engage?ment oppor?tu?ni?ties will be held on Gov?er?nors Island in part?ner?ship with Friends of Tivoli Lake Pre?serve and Farm with dates to be announced.