Goats return to Ann Arbor's Gallup Park to clear away invasive plants
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The City of Ann Arbor is clearing invasive plant species from its parks using a herd of goats.
Known as "goatscaping," the eco-friendly and old-fashioned plant removal method uses goats to eat poisonous and invasive plants and brush to help keep trails clear during the summer months.
It's an alternative to chemical plant control, which city officials said they rarely use.
"We would spend a lot of work hours on just sending people in and clearing some of these areas where we can have the goats come in for a week, and they just do what goats do, and then by the end of the week it's really a lot clearer in those areas," said Scott Spooner, the deputy manager of maintenance for Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation.
Since 2019, the city has worked with Twin Willow Ranch in Milan, which deploys its herd to Ann Arbor parks to munch away.
"We come out before we bring the goats out and check the area and see how big of an area it is, how long we think it's going to take and then we give an estimate, and we'll go from there," said Twin Willow Ranch co-owner Doug Mouer. "They'll do about a half-acre to an acre in a week with ten goats."
The goats will eat buckthorn, honeysuckle, and even poison ivy.
"Poison ivy is one of their favorite things to eat," said Mouer. "They eat all the poisonous stuff, you know, poison oak, poison ivy. Pretty much, if it's green, they'll eat it."
The goats are dropped off in groups for a minimum of a week to do what they do best and are checked on once every two days.
Officials said visitors who want to see the goats at work can get the best view from the docks at the Gallup Park boat launch or from the water.
"We invite people to come out and see the goats at work, as long as they don't cross those barriers and get too close to the goats," said Spooner.
To learn more about the goatscaping program, visit the city's website.
