Lookering

I have applied to become a lookerer.  Eh, what? you ask.  What the heckythump is lookerer?  Basically, a lookerer is a volunteer part-time shepherd.  Ok, ok, you can stop giggling now.

Each winter, the city brings sheep in to graze certain open spaces around the edge of town.  This is done as it helps to conserve ancient chalk downland and is cheaper than mowing.  As the Council says on its web site:

A number of important conservation and ancient chalk downland areas in the city are grazed with sheep to improve the open space for both wildlife and people. Grazing is better than mowing for the land as the grass is removed over several weeks allowing insects to move away and ensure structures like ant hills are not damaged. Sheep also find some plants tastier than others, so grazing removes different plants at different rates, unlike mowing where everything is removed at once. Grazing also ensures aggressive weeds such as nettles and brambles don't take over and prevent people from using open spaces for quiet recreation, healthy exercise and enjoying wildlife.

The sheep need looking after and volunteer lookerers drop by to check on them at pre-arranged times.  It is supposed to take only about an hour a week and it sounds quite interesting.  Lookerers have to attend a one-day course to be told the theory behind the idea and to learn how to handle sheep and erect the electric fencing used.

It will probably come to nothing for me as I expect there will be no more courses until late summer 2013, by which time the Council will have forgotten all about me.

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In view of what has gone before, this picture seems quite appropriate: sheep on the South Downs with a distant view of Brighton and the English Channel.