GREENVILLE, Wis. (WFRV) – It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a sheep?
That’s right. Appleton International Airport is enlisting the help of sheep from Wooly Green Grazers to manage vegetation on its conservancy land near Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
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When the airport expands buildings or runways, it’s required to offset development by preserving or creating wetlands and conservancy areas. Maintaining these spaces typically involved removing brush, controlling invasive species, and planting native vegetation—often requiring extensive manpower, equipment, and herbicides.
Not anymore. The sheep are now handling much of the work by grazing through the area, preventing the spread of weeds and overgrowth. The flock is rotated using a portable electric fence and is especially effective at removing invasive plants like buckthorn and phragmites.
With the airport investing more than $2,000 in new tree plantings, using herbicides posed a risk. Turning to sheep offers a more environmentally responsible solution that aligns with the airport’s sustainability goals.
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The sheep also offer cost savings. Transporting them and setting up fencing costs significantly less than using crews, machinery, and chemical treatments.
Using sheep for vegetation control may be unconventional, but Appleton International Airport sees it as a creative step toward improving operations while reducing its environmental impact.
