Day 329 – It may be turkey day, but I wanted to talk about dogs today. I came across this story from 2018 and thought it was an amazing idea.
Back in 2017, forest fires devastated central Chile. Over 100 fires destroyed over a million acres of forest. People lost their lives and there was an estimated $333 million worth of damage.
“The job to replant endless acres of forests seemed like a daunting endeavor. That is until three unusual workers took up the task. Six-year-old Das and her two daughters, Olivia and Summer are three Border Collies who have been trained to run through the damaged forests with special backpacks that release native plant seeds. Once they take root, these seeds will help regrow the destroyed area.” – weforum.org
Border Collies are an ideal breed for a job like this. They’re fast, intelligent and hard workers. Since they were bred to herd sheep, the likelihood of them running after other animals and causing injury, is very unlikely.
The dogs are able to spread around 20 pounds of seed over 18 miles in a day. Humans would only be able to cover a few miles each day.
These dogs don’t know it, but they are helping bring back a forest and allow wildlife to return.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tomorrow, avoiding more stuff this holiday season.
365 Ways to Save the Planet 