06/13/2026
Thursday, we loaded 16 does, one buck, 2 Anatolian Shepherds, fencing supplies, dog feed, and goat minerals in our trailer and headed to participate in a grazing project down in Moss Point, MS. We are incredibly grateful to be able to be a part of this project. I tried to take photos and have added some captions to help explain. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have.
There are many working together on this project-MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center, The MSU Coastal Upland Restoration and Ecology Program, and Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The support for this project has been provided by The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain.
I wanted to make sure I explained the purpose of this project best, so Shane had Jonathan explain it in a short description. The purpose is as follows:
Fire-maintained pine savannas along the Gulf Coast are highly biodiverse ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by invasive species, woody encroachment, and the loss of natural disturbance. In collaboration with the The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, researchers and stewards from the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center's Coastal Upland Restoration and Ecology Program have established a conservation grazing demonstration and research site at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to showcase grazing as a practical habitat management tool while engaging landowners, producers, and the public through outreach and technical assistance. The project will also serve as a long-term research platform to evaluate ecological outcomes while demonstrating how conservation grazing can improve wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural economies.
