As part of CCF’s land management planning, last winter we began discussion with the Concord Natural Resources Commission, Minuteman National Park, and the Concord Land Trust about using intensive sheep grazing to control invasive species. These groups met several times with Bellwether Solutions, a New Hampshire environmental consulting firm. After thorough research, CCF decided to hire this firm to graze their sheep on our Spencer Brook parcel. CCF also agreed to fund the cost of putting sheep on Towle Field, the town-owned conservation land on Westford Road, for a total cost of $6,000. On one of the hottest days of the summer, 333 sheep, their shepherd, sheepdog, and guard dog arrived in Carlisle. Cresting the hill on Westford Road to see a flock of sheep on Towle Field was quite a sight! This year's pilot program included two passes by the sheep on both parcels,. Next year two more passes are needed before a meaningful evaluation of their effectiveness as a land management tool is possible. All agree that it has been a wonderfully scenic, nostalgic, and worthwhile experiment.

Barney Arnold and Marjie Findlay