julia
By Julia McHugh, Elings Park
Four-legged grazers now can be seen on the grassy south bluffs of Santa Barbara’s Elings Park.
During their four-week stay, the flock of 350 Merino sheep will provide eco-friendly fire prevention and invasive-plant removal, along with natural fertilizer and other benefits to promote the return of California native plants.
This is the third year in a row that the park has used the services of sheep, provided by Cuyama Lamb in Maricopa.
As an added bonus, a baby lamb was born at the park on Monday. The hour-old baby was examined by Cuyama Lamb staff and determined to be a ram. He’s now with his mother and the rest of the flock.
A baby lamb was born this past Monday and is now with its mother amongst the Elings flock (courtesy photo)
By devouring invasive non-native plants, the sheep reduce the amount of wildfire fodder, serve as an alternative to pesticides, break up hard soil to allow native plants to spread, and provide manure that fertilizes them.
“This is in line with our goal of restoring native ecologies to Elings Park,” said Dean Noble, the park’s executive director. “Over the past two years, we’ve planted more than 250 coast and live oaks, and hundreds of California native grasses and shrubs.
“The landscape is changing before our eyes. There’s more to come, but nothing quite as cute as these fuzzy critters.”
The public is welcome to hike onto the park’s south bluffs during daylight hours to view the flock. The trailhead is off Jerry Harwin Parkway behind the administration building’s parking lot.
The sheep corrals move every few days to target specific areas. Cuyama Lamb has experience with targeted grazing and safety precautions are in place, include fencing, netting and regular observations.
A flock of 350 Merino sheep is now at Elings Park to provide eco-friendly fire prevention, invasive plant removal – and natural fertilizer. (courtesy photo)
Great Pyrenees sheepdogs Yoreh and Sierra take turns managing the flock. The breed has 10,000 years of livestock guarding experience. By the late 17th century, Great Pyrenees gained popularity with the French nobility as a guard dog, protecting flocks from wolves and bears.
Weighing 100 to 160 pounds, Great Pyrenees can grow as tall as 40 inches, and their weather-resistant coats are either solid white and white with patches of gray, tan, red-brown or pale yellow.
“With all the rain, it’s been a good year to be a weed at Elings Park,” Noble said, “and an even better year to be a hungry sheep.”
Sheep and goats RUINED the native ecosystems of our Channel Islands back in the day.
I think that was because the had free range to graze for long periods of time, not in a controlled fashion like these wildfire abatement grazers. I do think there is more poison oak now that the sheep have been used at Elings.
Basic, the way that these animals were managed “back in the day” is nothing like the way they are managed now. If you’re interested, and I’m pretty sure you’re not, you should look at the San Marcos Foothills as an example.
To be clear, I am fine with using sheep and goats, but if you think that is native plant friendly you are wrong
Edney, when used correctly for invasive removal, they are extremely native friendly. Do some research.
There are plants that are native, that are not compatible with sheep and goats… deer yes. Sheep, goats and cattle eat Santa Barbara Honeysuckle, which is an endangered species. A species that feeds endangered native birds, animals and insects. It feeds goats too. Once
“Just because it’s native doesn’t mean it’s desirable or safe in a place where humans and their pets frequent.” Science and the credentialed think you are a selfish NIMBY and they may be onto something. Most native plant scientists do not like using sheep and goats because their feces spread invasives and additionally they will insist that poison oak is an important plant for bird, rodents etc and the human response to “stay away” is beneficial to the habitat
EDNEY at 8:20 – what are you even talking about? I was talking about poison oak.
Leading wineries have been using lamb and sheep for years to graze between vine rows to reduce the amount of work needed and to fertilize the soil with their droppings
Elings Park has become a poison oak forest. The North facing trail and the West side along Las Positas are covered in poison oak. It would be nice to see the park address it.
Just because it’s native doesn’t mean it’s desirable or safe in a place where humans and their pets frequent.
Poison oak is a native plant, so presumably they should be encouraging it since the goal is to restore native vegetation.
Chip, there are some wonderful restoration programs in the works as we speak. There will be 20-30 planter boxes going in (to start) adjacent to all newly approved parklets on State St. featuring indigenous species, with at least fifty percent dedicated to poison oak.
Presumably you will be thrilled about that.
I’d be thrilled for some people to experience real Southern CA ecosystem life. Rub some mugwort on it and stop whining
Millimesa—Goats can eat poison oak, they’ve been used for that purpose.
That’s correct. However the goats aren’t being implemented in the areas of high poison oak concentration at Elings Park.
These goats and sheep are amazing! They apparently have the ability to distinguish between native and non-native plants. It is truly a miracle for the environment. Just the other day I was taking a walk on Mountain Drive with some friends and we witnessed a goat single-mouthedly devour a young citrus tree. Cirtruses are not native. Thank god we have goats and sheep to protect us from non-natives.
We have a distant view of the hang glider hill at Elings Park and with binoculars in the past I could see the sheep. Can’t see them today. Is there any information on the schedule as to when the sheep will work on that part of the park?
Besides all this bickering, can’t you see the beauty and joy in this bucolic scene?