Bird and Wildlife Habitat
Our farm and surrounding area is home to many animals, large and small. Deer roam the fields
and forests, muskrat and beaver call the pond home, even bears have been spotted from time to
time, and, on the rarest of occasions, cougar. Coyotes also travel the area and can often be
heard yelping and howling at night. A huge assortment of birds can be spotted, from great blue
herons in our pond, to hawks flying overhead looking for mice, snakes and frogs, to canaries
flying amongst the thistles. And let’s not forget the millions of little critters that call the soil home.
Trillium Dorper Ranch puts environment first and strives to keep our 100 acres a place where Dorper sheep can live harmoniously with nature’s creatures. We do our best to be stewards of the land and to ensure that our livestock play a positive role in the farm ecosystem. Here are just a few of the things we do:
- Rather than trap or shoot coyotes and bear, we have a Maremma livestock guardian dog and guard llama, both of whom are extremely helpful in keeping predators at bay – naturally. This way, no harm is done to the coyotes, and no harm comes to our flock.
- At the edge of the pond, a variety of tree and plant species have been planted not only
for their protective and water retaining ability, but also for their ability to provide food and
habitat for wildlife. Where just a few years ago there were no trees at all, birds can now
eat from the many elderberry and cranberry trees on the farm. Planted in between bigger
tree species, these plantings provide everything needed for a healthy ecosystem to
develop.
- Riparian areas are kept off limits to the sheep, ensuring that the water stays clean and that the ground remains undisturbed.
- As well as providing food for consumption and for sale, our newly-planted apple and plum
orchards provide food and shelter for all types of wildlife. Once the orchards are well
established, we will allow the Dorpers access to clean up fallen fruit and fertilize naturally.
We’re committed to growing all our fruit and vegetables organically – no pesticides,
herbicides or non-organic fertilizers.
- In recent years, the weather in our region can change drastically from year to year, month
to month, even week to week. Three years ago, we had a drought, so hay was in short
supply while just last year, we had so much rain there was no time to cut and bale the
hay between storms. We’d introduced several measures to help us prepare for these
difficult conditions:
o Rainbarrels are used to collect water runoff from the farm’s buildings and stored there until needed. Our rainbarrel system will provide just enough water to keep our gardens and orchards moist during any droughts.
o An old dug well located at the site of the old farm residence is kept active in case an extra source of groundwater is required.
o In cases where we get excessive rain, we will have enough hay in storage in our new cover-all for most of the following winter.
- To prevent soil erosion, we plan to plant more trees and shrubs along our property’s North, East and West fencelines. Native species will be used, with an emphasis on species that provide good food and shelter to native animals and for our livestock.
- We selectively harvest cedar trees for fenceposts and hardwood for our fireplace by choosing trees that are diseased or dying and by thinning-out overly dense areas. We avoid using only dead trees, as many birds and other creatures make their homes or find food here, not to mention that in time, these trees decay and are returned to the earth as nutrient-rich compost thus naturally completing the forest renewal cycle.