Kudzu-Loving Sheep Return to Campus

Our woolly, four-legged friends are back to help manage the vegetation. This marks their second return to campus to help control one of the most invasive plants in the South — the dreaded kudzu.

“Typically, the approach to managing a particularly overgrown area, like we have here at Tech, requires several grazing sessions with the sheep,” states Jerry Young, landscape project manager in Facilities Management.

By grazing on the kudzu leaves, or any vegetation within their reach, the sheep essentially deplete the root reserves. To optimize the effectiveness of this method, it is important to follow through by removing any remaining foliage and repeating the grazing process several times within 24 months.    

“This is not only an effective means of removing pervasive vegetation in an area that is hard to reach, but it doesn’t require the application of pesticides, making it very eco-friendly,” says Anne Boykin-Smith, master planner in Capital Planning and Space Managemet. “We are looking at other areas on campus that would benefit from this sustainable solution, especially as we continue to develop the campus eco-commons.” 

The sheep will remain on campus until Tuesday, November 10.