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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFrom now until… they’re full, you can catch these cuties at hard at work in North Dallas.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFrom now until… they’re full, you can catch these cuties at hard at work in North Dallas.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Lisa Petty<\/p>\n
Relax, it\u2019s not a hallucination (though we might know what you\u2019ve been up to<\/a> after work these days). The herd of farm animals you just saw grazing through some of the most expensive real estate in North Texas<\/a>? They\u2019re supposed to be right there, doing just that. It\u2019s all part of a plan. Sort of.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat started out with the idea to hire 15-20 animals has now blossomed into a herd of 400,\u201d says Will Dawson, a Board Member with the Friends of Northaven Trail.\u00a0<\/p>\n Backing up, for those unfamiliar: the Northaven Trail, completed in 2023, is a nine-mile paved path running through North Dallas between Central Expressway and Denton Drive. The Trail is part of the city\u2019s Parks and Recreation system, and much of its loving care and beautification is the work of a whole village of helicopter parents \u2014 er, volunteers \u2014 in the form of the aforementioned Friends. On any given day, the trail is filled with joggers, cyclists and toddlers on trikes. It\u2019s dotted with Austin stone pavilions, a cute, hand-painted Little Library and memorials for beloved family pets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Northaven Trail also boasts 50 donation-supported, expertly tended \u201cno-mow zones.\u201d Designed as pollinator areas, these green spaces serve an important ecological purpose. They are intentionally left unmowed so that native grasses and flowers can thrive, providing nourishment and protection for birds, butterflies, bees, and other local fauna. But even a \u201cno-mow zone\u201d requires some trimming. Enter the herd.<\/p>\n View this post on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n A post shared by Friends of Northaven Trail (@northaventraildallas)<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to create a natural, low-impact approach to trail maintenance that supports our native habitat,\u201d says Dawson. \u201cMy fellow trail board member, Dorothy Buechel, is a master naturalist and the driving force behind our re-wilding projects. She and I started brainstorming an approach to the annual clearing process, and it grew from there.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair consulted with Chris Morris from the Dallas Parks Department, who touted the benefits of having sheep and goats graze the trail. Specifically, as the animals munch through the tangled upper \u201cthatch layer,\u201d their hooves aerate the soil, a combo that allows for improved natural seed germination. There\u2019s also some beneficial stuff involving poop, but we\u2019ll leave that to your Googling device of choice. Anyway, Morris referred Dawson to Open Space, a local company that specializes in environmentally-friendly land clearing, and voila, Northaven\u2019s just a Gabor sister short of Green Acres.<\/p>\n As of Wednesday, Oct. 15, 30 no-mow zones began the grazing process with the help of 400 goats and sheep. A team of shepherds, accompanied by Border Collies, will tend them around the clock, ensuring the animals\u2019 safety and overall well-being. Moving from zone to zone, the entire buffet will take between a few days and a few weeks \u2014 it\u2019s hard to say. As anyone with kids can tell you (get it? the namesake for baby goats), they eat at their own pace and they don\u2019t stop until they\u2019re full.<\/p>\n Through the Northaven Trail \u201cFlock Finder,\u201d you can track the herd\u2019s progress<\/a> and note important safety and etiquette information.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t