Every island summer, no matter how beautiful, comes to an end: This year too, it is time for Flocki, Luisa, Willi and the rest of the sheep flock to begin the journey from the Danube island back to their winter quarters. The animal mowing brigade of the City of Vienna – Vienna Waters department can look back on a successful season: around 11 hectares of meadow area were mown from the end of April to the beginning of November by the flock of sheep in the natural north of the Danube Island.
“This year, the island sheep have once again made a tremendous contribution to making the Danube Island fit for the climate: with the help of the island sheep, the meadow mowing is not only done without the use of machines and is therefore much quieter, but biodiversity is also increased, as there are always enough grasses and meadow flowers left for the insects . The sheep now have a real fan base and we can all look forward to seeing them again next year, because we will definitely continue the sheep grazing,” says Ulli Sima, the city councilor responsible for the Danube Island.
Climate-friendly leisure oasis: Sheep grazing as a “best practice example”
Sheep grazing was introduced in 2019 as part of the EU project LIFE DICCA, which the City of Vienna – Vienna Waters Department launched on the Danube Island to make the unique Viennese leisure oasis climate-fit and to preserve biodiversity. During the project period from 2019 to 2024, the sheep herd mown a total of around 60 hectares of meadow area, which corresponds to more than 6 times the total area of Vienna’s city park. Even after the EU project has been completed, the city of Vienna will continue to mow the sheep: “The island sheep are now without a doubt part of the Danube Island’s ‘fixed inventory’. Due to the positive results, sheep grazing will be continued as a ‘best practice example’ beyond the project period,” says Gerald Loew – Head of Vienna Waterways.
Sheep promote colorful flower buffets for insects
Sheep can also reach pasture areas that are difficult to access; the gentle slope in the natural north of the Danube Island does not pose a problem for the four-legged friends. The animals’ gentle grazing prevents the meadows from becoming overgrown. Delicate underlying grasses receive more light and can develop better. The continuous flower buffet in turn benefits insects: thistles and knapweed, which sheep prefer to avoid, serve as a rich source of food for rare rock bee species and butterflies.
Ideal conditions in the natural north of the island
The largely natural meadows in the quiet north of the Danube Island have proven to be an ideal area for the sheep. The animals stay there for around a week on a pasture area protected by a mobile fence, after which the fence is moved and the next meadow is grazed. The island sheep feed exclusively on what the Danube Island has to offer. They are visited once a day during the season by a shepherd or shepherdess.
Further information about sheep grazing on the Danube Island: https://www.wien.gv.at/spezial/eu-projekt-life-dicca/
rk photo service: www.wien.gv.at/presse/bilder
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