Nov 12, 2024
Virtual fencing is a new technology that employs GPS collars to
keep animals in "virtual" pastures—so instead of using physical
fences, the fence lines are drawn on a computer screen, and the
collars direct the animals' movements through sound cues and mild
electrical stimulation. This saves ranchers on labor and materials,
allows more adaptive and flexible pasture management, and allows
free range for wildlife.
The Nature Conservancy, whose mission is to tackle
climate change by protecting land and water and fostering a healthy
food system, is partnering with ranches across the US to help
ranchers adopt virtual fencing systems. We talk to William Burnidge,
deputy director of The Nature Conservancy’s Regenerative Grazing
Lands strategy in North America, and Danna Camblin
of Camblin Livestock, whose ranch has been successfully
employing virtual fencing for the last few years.