07/24/2022
Repost from
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The goats' work at the Metzler Family Open Space is almost complete! They work fast and have cleared about one acre a day of tall w**ds, overgrown grass and low-hanging vegetation.
A new herd of about 500 goats from is arriving at the Woodlands Bowl open space today and will be there for at least 10 days.
This location is more visible and accessible. If you pass the goats on the sidewalk or trail, please make sure your dogs are leashed for their safety and the goats' safety.
These are working goats, not petting goats. They will be enclosed by an electric fence that's moved as the goats clear one area and transition to the next. They are guarded by two border collies and herders who stay with them.
Goats have an appetite for the kind of vegetation that makes up the fire ladder. Their work results in a firebreak or open space that's cleared of vegetation so flames don't spread as easily in the event of a wildfire. They aren't picky eaters and they'll devour just about anything, including thistle, bindw**d, poison ivy, and even the leaves off Russian olive trees. They stand on their hind legs, and even climb on other goats, to reach vegetation up to 5 feet off the ground. They also can reach the underbrush of Gamble Oak that's hard for mowers to get to.
The goats are efficient and provide environmentally friendly w**d-management control and wildfire risk reduction.