Each summer we New Yorkers flock (see what we did there?) to Governors Island to welcome baaaack its resident sheep, but once this season comes to an end we’ll sadly be saying our final baaaa-byes as it’s been announced that this will be the sheep’s fifth and final season.
The Governors Island Trust has been releasing sheep on the grounds since 2021 as a furry landscaping squad. During the summer, the five sheep–Evening, Chad, Philip Aries, Bowie, and Jupiter–stroll the island’s grounds eating invasive species of plants such as like phragmites, bindweed, and mugwort. The flock has eaten ~15 acres worth of invasive plant species since the program started, and a whopping 8.26 acres in their first year alone!
This work not only freed up thousands of hours in manpower for the humans that make up the Governors Island horticulture team, allowing them to focus on more important tasks such as building and landscaping new pathways in Hammock Grove for Island visitors to enjoy, but it also preserved the Island’s ecosystem.
Hailing from Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm in Albany, the Governors Island horticulture team has gotten to know the ins and outs of the sheep’s personalities over the years–for example, of the one female and four males, the female apparently runs the show. And the sheep have certainly exhibited admiration towards their jobs. Just last year, they issued a joint statement expressing their elation on returning to Governors Island, stating:
Baaaaaaa, baaaaaa, baaaaaa, baaaaa, baaaaaa!
We’re sure they feel the same this year!
With all that being said, the sheep are diligent workers–so much so that the Island soon won’t need them. The Governors Island Trust has announced that the horticulture team has officially been able to fully recognize the vision for the space now that invasive plants are no longer a worry.
Alas, not only is this the 20th anniversary of Governors Island being open to the public, it will also be the sheep’s fifth and final season on the island. Several events will be held on Governors Island in partnership with Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm so you can give your proper goodbyes to the flock.
Stay up to date on any sheep-related events here.