O'Hare Airport Uses Barnyard Animals for Earth-friendly Mowing

Last edited Fri Aug 16, 2013, 02:10 PM - Edit history (1)

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CHICAGO — In a remote corner of O'Hare International Airport, far from its high-profile modernization mega project, a decidedly more low-tech initiative is being carried out by a barnyard band of goats, sheep, llamas and wild burros.

The mission of the roughly two dozen animals: to mow the grass. And lots of it.

O'Hare is one of the largest airports in the world and takes its environmental initiatives to serious and sometimes quirky heights. It has acres of green roofs, including one atop an air traffic control facility, to reduce storm water runoff and lower the urban heat island effect of the airport's massive concrete expanse. The airport has even turned over a wooded patch of land to 1 million bees living in 28 beehives that produce honey sold in the terminals and help replenish declining bee populations.

"Welcome to Project Herd!" said Rosemarie Andolino, head of the Chicago Department of Aviation, announcing the new effort to a group of journalists who got a look at the project Tuesday.


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