2 Montreal parks have roaming sheep again this summer and you can do (free!) yoga with them

They're baaaack! For the eighth year, you'll find a gang of sheep roaming around certain Montreal parks this summer — and you can even do free activities like yoga with them (although, rumour has it they stink at tree pose).

Montreal's beloved park sheep are part of Biquette Écopâturage's eco-grazing project — a way to naturally mow park lawns as the sheep graze. Swapping a gas lawnmower for sheep reduces air pollution, noise pollution and the use of chemical fertilizers while increasing biodiversity, among other advantages, says the nonprofit, which is dedicated to ecologically maintaining green spaces.

Biquette and the City of Montreal say the project also aims to educate people about eco-grazing and urban agriculture as well as to "brighten up" community members by hosting fun events that "energize neighbourhood life."

This year, you can see the flock of around 20 sheep at Parc Armand-Bombardier (Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles) from May 21 to June 24 and then at Parc Maisonneuve (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie) from June 25 to October 13.

They'll be there every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., rain or shine.

You can pet the sheep if they come up to you and ask for a pat (and volunteers give you the go-ahead), but not all of the sheep enjoy human contact and Biquette says you should not touch the sheep while they're grazing or ruminating because it can disrupt their eating and digestion process.

If chilling at the park while watching these adorable animals do their thing — plus potentially giving some a pat or two — isn't enough for you, there are other ways to get more involved.

For starters, Biquette is recruiting volunteer shepherds to help look after the sheep, as well as the chicken coop and gardens.

The Parc Armand-Bombardier volunteers are already in training so there may not be room left (though you'll want to confirm with Biquette), but there's an info session for potential Parc Maisonneuve volunteers being held on May 26 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Le Repaire de Biquette (Biquette's Lair) near the park's Rosemont and L'Églantier community gardens.

Biquette is looking for folks aged 16 or older who are reliable, punctual, comfortable speaking French and have two to three free hours per week during the sheep grazing season. You should also love animals, nature and the public, according to the Facebook event page.

If you don't want to volunteer, you can also sign up for one (or all) of the free activities that Biquette has planned.

There's outdoor yoga with certified yoga instructor and yoga therapist Carole Roy and workshops on wool spinning, weaving, preparing wool for spinning (and wool spinning itself), growing and harvesting plants to use for coloured dyes, an introduction to beekeeping, a family knitting circle, and more.

"The sheep may pass close to the yoga class, but if not, they can be observed from a distance. They decide their own route (under the guidance of our volunteers, of course), and near or far, you can always enjoy their soothing, uplifting presence," a Biquette spokesperson told MTL Blog on Facebook.

Not a baaaad way to spend a day!

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.