Grazing goats work hard to clear unwanted vegetation in Pittsburgh
Goats have become a useful tool in clearing unwanted vegetation in Pittsburgh's parks and green spaces.
It's part of a partnership between the city and the nonprofit Allegheny GoatScape, which has three herds of roughly 11 goats rotating at different sites across the city.
In Highland Park, the goats have been working on the hillside between the pool area and the edge of the park. One goat, Jelly, has become quite the attraction.
"She wants a lot of attention. And if you don't give it to her, she will try to force you to give it to her," said Hillary Steffes, executive director of Allegheny GoatScape.
Jelly and the other goats were focused on the Japanese Knotweed, an invasive species, that covers the hillside.
"It grows very quickly, it spreads very easily, and it's very hard to get rid of," said Chris Cwenar, Pittsburgh's senior park ranger.
"They clear a lot of area that our employees sometimes have difficulty gaining access to," said Joe Rush, superintendent of parks maintenance for the city's Department of Public Works.
The goats save the city time and money compared to humans, Cwenar said.
"Sometimes we don't have the manpower for effective upkeep, and that definitely helps," Cwenar said.
They use donkeys to help protect the goats from predators, while the rangers help protect the goats from people. While there is an electric fence, a few times a year determined goats make their way out. When that happens, rangers help them get back inside.
"I wouldn't worry about the goats attacking you," said Cwenar, adding the goats are more interested in the plants.
Steffes said she takes pride in how the goats are helping to create a healthier and more stable ecosystem, taking steps that could help prevent erosion or trees from toppling. While Pittsburgh may be surrounded by nature, much of it is not natural, often due to years of industrial activity.
"Pittsburgh is a historically abused landscape," Steffes said.
The rangers stress that you shouldn't feed or touch the goats. They also ask that pets be kept on leashes when near the goats and away from the fence. Goatscape is working to create more opportunities where people can interact with the goats, Steffes added.
