Ode to Our Fire Prevention Crews – Thank You to Thousands of Grazers and their Dog Guardians!.
Herds of goats have been working hard all over the Oakland hills to help us prevent fires as we brace for more intense fire seasons due to climate change and continuing droughts. Goat grazing is a very important aspect of City of Oakland Fire Department’s vegetation 
management strategies. And the great thing is that it’s a natural (no toxic chemicals), safe and sustainable practice. But, we also have to remember to thank the Dog Guardians, the Great Pyrenees dogs that guard the goats. Their job is to protect the herd from predators by barking, guarding, standing in between the goats and the predator and, if necessary, attacking. When barking at nice folks and their dogs, you may notice their tails are wagging! They were known to be the royal dog of France and the Basque sheepherders relied on them in the Pyrenees to protect their sheep.
Another plus of these fire prevention crews is that the goats are mesmerizing. During our Shelter in Place mandate, the goats have brought us much joy and calm. Standing quietly watching them graze or look at you – you cannot help but feel comforted, soothed.
“I always feel happy when I see that the goat shepherd has set up his home on top of the hill behind Sheffield Village,” says Vivian Aldridge, resident, hiker and sketcher. “A thousand goats chomping away at the dry grass is an amazing sight! During the last two months, every other day, I would walk the fire trail circuit to visit them. Aside from preventing wildfires the goats also revealed to me a number of trails…one of the trails even leads to Lake Chabot!”
It’s the undergrowth in the hills that dries out and fuels the fires as it did in the horrific 1991 Oakland Hills fire.
Under the goat shepherd’s guidance, goats are deployed into select open areas surrounded by electric fences and are allowed to graze – chomp down the undergrowth – until enough vegetation is removed to reduce the threat of fire. Two talents benefitting this effort is that goats love to graze and can easily stand on steep inclines as they work.
All this strategic and hard work provides a firebreak that reduces the speed at which a wild land fire can travel horizontally and threaten nearby structures and our homes. Thank you Grazers and Dog Guardians!
Credits
Photo of goats looking out over Oakalnd hills and Sketch of Goat Herder’s mobile home by Vivian Aldridge, sketcher & Oakland Hills resident
Photo of Guardian Dog with Oak leaves lighting upon his nose by Judy Waldear, resident of Oakland Hills and feeder of the goats.
Ginger’s drawings by her friend & artist Peter Hobbs Di Grazia
