Goats To Trim Hillsides Of San Francisco's Twin Peaks In Prep For Pride Weekend

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Four-legged gardeners will assist with weed mitigation this weekend on San Francisco's Twin Peaks hillside in preparation for Pride Weekend, according to public works officials.

A herd of weed-eating goats will chomp their way through the unwieldy vegetation that overtakes the site of the annual Pink Triangle installation.

The goats arrived on Thursday and are expected to work throughout the weekend.

The 50-or-so goats take the place of machinery and herbicides, and will be supervised day and night by human goat herders, public works officials said.

San Francisco city grazing manager Genevieve Church explained that the goats provide benefits beyond just controlling weeds. Their excrement adds nutrients to the soil and their urine slows down weed growth, she said.

San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru applauds the goats' grazing efforts.

"They can navigate the steep terrain nimbly and access areas that our employees would have a much harder time traversing safely to get the job done. Plus, goats are eco-friendly and really fun to see in San Francisco," Nuru said in a statement.

The canvas pink triangle, a trademark of Pride Weekend since 1995, will be installed near the top of Twin Peaks on June 28.

© Copyright 2014 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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