Driving on 101 and looking toward the mountains, I observed the most unusual landscape a few days ago. Herds of sheep and goats were grazing the overgrown vegetation on the hills of Summerland. I immediately ventured on the trails around Greenwell and met shepherds Zachary and Noe.
I found that the project was a collaboration between the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Department and the California Grazing Company, owned by Michael Klain, a full-time fire captain. The purpose of goat grazing is to eliminate excess vegetation for fire prevention; therefore, Klain works closely with fire departments, in this case, with Carpinteria Fire Marshal Mike Lomonaco, who secured a grant for this particular project through CalFire and the Santa Barbara Fire Safety Council.
Noe and Zachary were busy setting up stacks of electric fences over the hillsides while providing the herd with water and hay. The herd seemed to have a larger number of goats than sheep, which were all contained and grazing. A dog was focused on preventing attacks from predators. A few newborn lambs and kids were next to their mothers, experiencing their first ventures into this world. It was a beautiful sight to observe the different breeds and hierarchies at work.
Enchanted by this discovery, I made it a daily destination as the animals moved to different areas of the hills over two weeks. I had a very informative talk with Camila Schafer, a firefighter-paramedic in Carpinteria, who was previously a shepherd for Cuyama Lamb LLC. The Summerland project covered 31 acres in just four weeks, “staffed” by 400 goats and sheep, with a ratio of 85 percent goats to 15 percent sheep. During that time, about 24 babies were born in the herd.
Shepherd Zachary was caring for the herd from a trailer perched on top of the hill. He, too, was a new dad of a beautiful baby girl. He was constantly tuned in to the various needs of the animals and their behavior, giving them stacks of hay, supplements, and water. Occasionally he bottle fed the newly born animals.
I treasured the opportunity to witness these moments in a exceptional landscape reminiscent of my native France. It was such a gift in a world of chaos dominated by technology. I was reminded of the miracles of nature and the importance of safeguarding them. My personal joy aside, the positive environmental effect of the ecologically sound practices will help to preserve these landscapes for generations to come. I am very thankful for the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Departments’ willingness to collaborate with the project and keep our community safe.
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