Amazing Graze! Gdańsk employs herd of sheep to act as eco-friendly lawn mowers
A whole district in the city of Gdańsk will no longer be mowed using petrol mowers - but by a herd of sheep.
For three months an area of about 500 square meters in the Olszynka district of the city next to the Motława River will be cared for by 15 heath sheep.
Michał Szymański, deputy director of the Gdańsk Road and Greenery Authority for public space said: “Sheep grazing is an ecological way to maintain green areas.
“Sheep as natural lawn mowers are becoming more and more popular in Poland and abroad.
The use of sheep is seen as being an eco-friendly way of maintaining grassland.
“They worked in among others place at the airport in the Belgian Zaventem and in the largest park in Madrid.
“Now they have also appeared in Gdańsk.”
He continued: “They will graze in a fenced area. As the cute lawnmowers progress, the fence will be moved.
“The animals can take shelter from unfavorable weather under a shelter prepared for them. We also installed a feeder, drinker and salt licks.
“The animals and sheep infrastructure are constantly supervised by a delegated employee, and monitoring has been installed in the pasture.”
Michał Szymański, deputy director of the Gdańsk Road and Greenery Authority for public space said: “Sheep's nutritional strategy is based on selective plant selection and the crushing and breaking of dry plant fragments prevents the formation of a compact litter that prevents the growth of xerothermic vegetation, while plant browsing helps stop the growth of seedlings of undesirable species.”
Members of the public will also be able to watch the sheep online with the sheep’s activities being transmitted live on Facebook.
Szymański added: “The animals will take care of biodiversity and don't need electricity, repairs or spare parts.
“Sheep's nutritional strategy is based on selective plant selection and the crushing and breaking of dry plant fragments prevents the formation of a compact litter that prevents the growth of xerothermic vegetation, while plant browsing helps stop the growth of seedlings of undesirable species.”
A spokesman for the mayor of Gdańsk said that if the idea is successful the project could be extended to other parts of the city.
Time wool tell.
