Barcelona to help prevent fire with a mixed herd of goats and sheep in Collserola

A pilot test of the green economy and recovering livestock as a forest management tool.

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07/04/2022 - 13:23 h - Environment and sustainability Ajuntament de Barcelona

A mixed herd of 290 goats and sheep will be out to graze around the Parc de Collserola from April to June, the goal being to clear scrub in the area, prevent forest fires and help conserve biodiversity. These animals feed on grass and stubble, helping to keep areas with low-density vegetation, firebreaks and the edges of paths clean and free of vegetation which could otherwise represent a fire risk in this area, particularly in the summer, owing to its high combustibility.

This pilot project in the green economy regains livestock farming as a woodland management tool. The initiative is based on a technical study on pasturing, carried out across the whole Barcelona section of Collserola, which delimits four large pasture areas reaching as far as the municipalities of Montcada i Reixac, Sant Feliu de Llobregat and El Papiol. Grazing on the Barcelona side will adopt the model of seasonal transhumance, mainly in the spring, with the possibility of additional activity in the autumn.

In all, 130 sheep, 80 goats and 80 lambs will live at the former football ground in the neighbourhood of La Font del Gos i Montbau, in the Horta neighbourhood, and graze in the part of Collserola in the Horta-Guinardó district. They will be accompanied by shepherds, sheep dogs and guard dogs around the grazing areas. Once the pilot project ends, the goal is to expand the practice to other areas in Barcelona.

An initiative set out in the drafting process for the Barcelona Sustainable Food Strategy 2030

The Barcelona Sustainable Food Strategy 2030 provides a roadmap for the next eight years to be followed by Barcelona City Council and other stakeholders working towards a sustainable food system in the city. The document brings together actions and goals linked to the Collserola mountain range, where some projects such as Can Calopa and the agrarian contract are in progress.