Preserve Event 7/18/26: Project MOW at Johnson Preserve

Interested in getting baaaaaaack to nature with some furry farm friends? Want to explore the intersection of animal husbandry and land stewardship? Volunteer with Legacy Land Conservancy to help maintain a mobile sheep herd that will be eating woody invasive plants on the Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Preserve!

On Saturday, July 18th, Legacy will be hosting Project MOW–an Ypsilanti-based company–and its sheep as a new herbicide-free method to control invasive plants. The sheep will be fenced in around the hedgerow and supervised by volunteers as they browse invasive understory plants. The sheep will be back for another week in September, but we will have a separate volunteer sign-up for that week.

As part of this opportunity, all volunteers must attend the kick-off training event on Saturday, July 18th from 10am-12pm at Johnson Preserve. Project MOW will go over sheep and pen care. The group will also help set up the temporary sheep fencing. Attendees will sign up for flexible daily shifts the week of twenty-first to the twenty seventh.

Registration is REQUIRED for the volunteer opportunity and kick-off event. Slots are limited, so please register in advance to sign-up and ensure your slot. This event is open to all ages, however participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Please dress for the weather and in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Pants and closed toe shoes are a must, regardless of the temperature, to protect from poison ivy and getting scratched up while outside.

Meet at Lillie Park South! Johnson Preserve and Lillie Park are connected by a trail. We will be convening at the red gazebo located on the eastern edge of Lillie Park South’s parking lot. The gazebo is adjacent to the start of the trail we will use to walk over to Johnson Preserve.