A flock of Sheep in this Montreal Park is doing more than just mowing the lawn; they create a direct link to nature while spreading joy to people and even changing lives.
During the summer months, Sparkles, Thérèse, Jupiter, KitKat, and twelve more sheep leave their barn every morning to roam the massive Parc Maisonneuve, grazing the grass and interacting with people. The flock head out rain or shine, accompanied by three shepherds. Overall, there are one hundred volunteers that rotate as shepherds and take care of the flock.
Laurence Sauvageau-Fresco from the nonprofit Biquette à Montreal, told Global News:
They’re not compacting the ground like lawnmowers; they’re not scaring all the birds, all the wildlife around because they’re not as noisy.
Biquette à Montreal has been taking care of the sheep and running this project over the past six years, and it has proven highly successful. That’s mainly because the cute and fluffy animals are doing more than proving efficient eco-mowers. The friendly sheep join the yoga classes and picnickers who use the park.
Sauvageau-Fresco said:
If you sometimes sit on the ground and you’re calm, having a picnic or doing yoga there, there are more chances that they will come close. Sometimes the shepherds help to bring them around when there’s a class.
She highlighted that this project had changed lives by bringing a bit of country to Montreal’s city residents. “It’s not just using the sheep; it’s living alongside them.”
When Sauvageau-Fresco began volunteering back in 2018, she instantly fell in love with the animals and was hooked. Now, she knows all the sheep by name and their unique personalities. For example, KitKat is all black, but her daughter Thérèse is entirely white and Jupiter, a mother of twins, is the oldest. “I’m like their godmother because I’m so close to them,” she said.
According to Montreal Families, the nonprofit also holds workshops for nature enthusiasts on Saturdays about the park’s biodiversity, medicinal plants, and making wool. In addition, yoga classes are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, partakers must register in advance.
People who want to see the flock can come every day from 9 am to 7 pm until September 5, 2021. This means there are only a few days left. Sauvageau-Fresco advises people not to feed or pet the hardworking sheep.
Other parks in the city want sheep too, but it takes a significant number of volunteers to care for them, so not all parks will likely jump on board. Nevertheless, Biquette à Montreal hopes to expand to other areas in the city sometime next year.
Parks and people aren’t the only ones that benefit from grazing sheep; solar panels, pollinators, and flora do too. The grazing of the sheep controls dead material and weeds, which lowers fire hazards. As they trample upon flowers and the earth below, seeds attach to their wool and spread along the field, stimulating new growth and keeping the soil healthy.
