They Came, They Saw, They Munched

Over the next few days, the privet that covers a stretch of east campus bottomland will slowly disappear, thanks to a flock of hard-working sheep.

The 30 sheep belong to Madison Countian Jennif Chandler, who’s working with University of Georgia staff and faculty members. They consider the sheep a cost-efficient way to get rid of an invader that chokes out native plants.

“It’s a low-cost solution in an institutional setting, in a large area,” said Kevin Kirsche, UGA’s director of sustainability. “Machines wouldn’t work well there, and neither would a lot of people. Besides, it’s just cool to have some sheep on campus.”

The Blue-faced Leicesters are on campus as part of the UGA’s week-long celebration of Earth Day. They are one of several events designed to raise environmental awareness and promote stewardship.

In addition to the wooly ones, there were several UGA students who joined in clearing branches too high for the sheep to reach. Bill Liverman, who works in the campus architects department, said the sheep will be grazing for several weeks.

“I thought this was a really good opportunity to get close to some sheep,” said student Westney Allen, who was holding a pair of loppers and trying to figure out where to cut. Originally from Alpharetta, she’s a member of the Students for Environmental Awareness at UGA.

Chandler and her flock have cleaned other properties of invasive plants. Backyards, parks, and even the David Henry Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary, south of Watkinsville in Oconee County, the happy grazers have eaten their way through snares of privet, poison ivy and other yucky plants.

UGA has several other events planned for Earth Week. These include:

Tuesday, Consumption Day: A waste audit of the Miller Learning Center, a no-waste dinner and a discussion panel.

Wednesday, Healthy Action Day: A car-free day with exhibits on being healthy in the Tate Student Center Plaza.

Thursday, Energy Day: Tours of the university's central steam plant, a film and a "raid" to turn off unnecessary lights in campus buildings.

Friday, Earth Day: New York Times reporter and UGA alum Justin Gillis will talk about reporting on climate change.