This weed buster is the G.O.A.T.
CBC
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A trailer slowly backs into a grassy meadow, just outside of downtown Toronto. The back door opens and 40 hungry goats jump out — immediately starting to rip leaves off of bushes.
All you can hear is chewing, the occasional bleat and sound of hooves in the grass and on tree trunks.
They're rapidly eating everything in sight, and thankfully, that's exactly what they were brought there to do.
Currently exploring new tools to manage invasive plants, the City of Toronto is deploying a herd of goats to Don Valley Brick Works Park for two days of prescribed grazing — an eco-friendly alternative to mowing or herbicides.
It's a method that's already been used to manage invasive plants in Calgary and Fort Erie, Ont., parks, on school campuses and near railway tracks, pipeline corridors, hydro pump stations and ski hills. They have also been used as a wildfire mitigation tool to eat the buildup of fuels, and studies have even explored "rent-a-goat" programs.
Toronto's pilot takes place in a park that spans 11.5 hectares and includes wetlands, meadows and four kilometres of trails. It's a collaboration with Ontario-based company, Goats in the City.
"It's our latest weapon to protect the meadows," said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who welcomed them into the park. "They're called eco-herds because they're quiet, non-polluting and a very natural way to manage the whole area."
Chow was particularly excited about a two-year-old goat named Munchkin, who is the company's conservation ambassador. She has even been cast in a music video.
Without meadow management, there is the risk that invasive species out-compete native ones.
These particular goats can eat through an acre in just two or three days. They're from the Kiko breed, meaning they're naturally bigger, faster and can reach higher than other kinds of goats.
The hope is that they'll eat woody species like buckthorn and Manitoba Maple, as well as invasive plants like dog strangling vine, vetch and Canada thistle. The Kiko goats seem to be particularly fond of the thistle, unbothered by its thorns.
