Some get a summer job at the beach while others might be more suited to island living.
The Trust for Governors Island announced Monday the details of a landscaping program to help control invasive plants aided by a family of five sheep from Albany.
Flour, Sam, Evening, Chad and Philip Aries hail from Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm and will be on loan through the summer. The family's focus will be weeding Hammock Grove.
Sheep are best tasked for the project - rather than goats or other animals - because they enjoy herbaceous plants, such as grasses, phragmites and mugwort, and will munch through those without eating the young trees.
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"This innovative, environmentally friendly landscaping program will protect our Island’s plant life from invasive species while allowing our horticulture team to spend their time on more productive pursuits than weeding Hammock Grove," said Clare Newman, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island.
Having the team of sheep on hand will also allow the island's horticulture team more time to focus efforts on other areas of the island. The sheep are said to be a cost effective and eco-friendly solution.
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"Our new sheep employees have arrived at the perfect time, and we welcome their contributions to help protect the natural landscapes of Governors Island," Newman added.
