Animals take over landscape maintenance on seven hectares for one week
Around 500 sheep are currently working on the former landfill site outside Griesheim . Since July 16th, they have been taking over the maintenance of the approximately seven-hectare area for about a week. The animals, belonging to the Darmstadt-Dieburg Landscape Conservation Association (LPV), are – as in previous years – naturally cutting back the vegetation.
Natural landscape management
In recent years, diverse habitats have developed on the renaturalized landfill. However, maintaining the site is challenging, as the slopes are steep and numerous woody plants have spread there.
“To ensure that the habitats on the landfill can develop positively in the long term, the city of Griesheim is relying on sheep as natural lawnmowers. The aim is to preserve the open meadows and enhance their diversity, as well as to counteract excessive encroachment of shrubs,” explains Matthias Dorweiler from the environmental office.
The animals also have another positive effect: seeds get caught in the sheep's wool and are distributed across the area. If they find suitable conditions there, they can germinate and thus contribute to the further development of the habitats.
(RED / PM / Verena Brückmann, City of Griesheim)
Featured image: City of Griesheim
