To honor the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, UC Davis will host a special grazing event dedicated to the social reformer and founder of American landscape architecture.
Launched in May of 2021, the UC Davis Sheepmowers are a team of 25 campus sheep that graze a fenced area of lawn on central campus over a period of 3 days, every 3-4 weeks. In addition to analyzing environmental factors (plant biodiversity, grass length, soil fertility/compaction rates) and economic factors (equipment, fuel, labor costs), researchers have included an Olmstedian spin to their queries: does the addition of sheep to a college campus help to reduce stress and improve mental health? Patterns of movement, social media analysis, visitor interactions, surveys, and other qualitative measurements are being used to address this question.
Come watch us mow!
