Leveraging campus sheep to create multi-functional public green spaces.
What is sheepmowing?
Grazing lawnscape management uses plant-munching livestock, most popularly goats and sheep, to manage areas ranging from wild grasslands to urban lawnscapes. The focus of the sheepmowing research is to study the potential of utilizing sheep in urban spaces, and how incorporating sheep into these unconventional spaces has the potential to offer environmental, operational, and social benefits.
Using sheep as lawn-care multi-tools can provide a more sustainable alternative to traditional management methods that require fossil-fuel based equipment, synthetic fertilizers, and chemical pesticides. Additionally, the introduction of animals and elements of pastoral beauty into an urban environment creates opportunities for increased social and mental well-being.
fall events
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Salute to Ag Football Game
9.07 5:00 - 7:00PM
Watch the home-opener between the UCD Aggies and Texas A&M-Commerce in the University’s Salute to Ag football game.
Sheepmowers will be in front of the stadium.
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An Evening of Excellence, Innovation and Gratitude
10.17 6:00-8:00PM
Several Sheepmowers have been invited to participate in an event celebrating the success of CA&ES's Expect Greater campaign.
PRIVATE EVENT
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Sheepmowers Fall Grazing Preview
11.01 10AM - 5:00PM
Watch the Sheepmowers graze in their new location on the lawn in front of Wellman Hall and check out our new stickers and swag.
Start off Parents' Weekend with a baa-ng!
Where We Mow
Fall Grazing Preview: 11/1 from 10am - 5pm
WICKSON HALL LAWN
Before you head out, check our Instagram to see if our mowers are scheduled to work. Their contract stipulates a 3-4 week break between every mowing period – sheepmowing is hard work.
Also, the grass needs time to grow!
Sheepmowers! x
Green Care Lab Collaboration
We're fundraising to construct a pastoral sheep pen for the Sheepmowers at the Green Care Lab to support hands-on learning in mental health and environmental care. Shepherding Wellness with Therapeutic Pastures combines eco-friendly sheep grazing with nature's healing effects to foster healthier landscapes and minds and pioneer research-backed nature therapy and sustainable management strategies.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Health Promotion in the Educational World: An Integrative Vision in Times of Pandemic
“Leveraging Campus Landscapes for Public Health: A Pilot Study to Understand the Psychological Effects of Urban Sheep Grazing on College Campuses"
By Haven Kiers, Kelly Nishimura, and Carolyn Dewa
8 November 2022
EXPLORE OUR INSTAGRAM
Winner in Land8: Landscape Architecture
Top 10 Social Media Accounts – ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS
7. University of California, Davis Sheepmowers – Instagram
The Sheepscapes Project utilizes grazing landscape management practices to redefine urban landscapes as multifunctional spaces that not only improve health and ecological sustainability, but also contribute to site identity, encourage engagement, and provide opportunities to pilot innovative maintenance operations. The project addresses the question: how can science, design, and practice converge to inform the creation of accessible green spaces that maximize cultural and environmental values?