Four-legged visitors have arrived on the Georgia Tech campus. And not one has an interest in becoming an engineer.
Sheep have been brought to campus for their sophomore year of helping control pesky kudzu.
“Typically, the approach to managing a particularly overgrown area, like we have here at Tech, requires several grazing sessions with the sheep,” said Jerry Young, landscape project manager.
By grazing on the kudzu and any vegetation within their reach, the sheep eat away the root reserves. But the process has to be repeated within 24 months.
But wait. Shouldn’t the smart folks over at Tech have a better way of dealing with the invasive plant?
Nope.
“This is not only an effective means of removing pervasive vegetation in an area that is hard to reach, but it doesn’t require the application of pesticides, making it very eco-friendly,” said Anne Boykin-Smith, master planner for Tech’s Capital Planning and Space Management department. “We are looking at other areas on campus that would benefit from this sustainable solution, especially as we continue to develop the campus eco-commons.”
It’s not the first time the woolly herbivores have been used around town to take a bite out of kudzu.
Sheep and a few well-behaved goats have munched away unwanted greenery at Chastain Park, and some people even hire them to tackle their own backyards.
Some very similar-looking friends of sheep — goats — helped the University of Georgia clear campus vegetation, thanks to one student's class project.
The Tech sheep will remain on campus until Tuesday.
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