Instagrammers loved a nonprofit's surprising solution to a poison ivy infestation along a trail.
KUT News (@kut_austin) shared a video of goats munching on poison ivy at the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas.
The clip described the cohort as an "army of goats," revealing the animals would live in a fenced-in area off the trail over several weeks. There, they chowed down on invasive plants and poison ivy.
Heidi Anderson, CEO of The Trail Conservancy (@thetrailconservancy), highlighted the benefits of the natural solution.
"It's a really innovative and creative alternative to some of the other tactics we could use to eradicate poison ivy, like controlled burns, which affect air quality, or chemicals, which affect water quality in the lake," Anderson explained in the caption.
For those reasons, many others are turning to goats to clear out invasive plants and unwanted growth. This goat-scaping has led homeowners and businesses to turn to the animal helpers for increasingly ambitious projects. The city of Arlington is another Lone Star State community employing goats.
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The company providing goats in this case, Rent-a-Ruminant, explained that so much more goes into the project than simply owning the goats and letting them run wild.
"They also have to stay together like a herd," co-owner Carolyn Carr said in the caption. "The other thing is they have to maintain their work ethic."
There's an electric fence to help with that, and the company used a trailer to monitor the herd. Their ties to the goats are considerable, as they have a name for each one that ties into their personality, appearance, or actions.
The initiative provides not just a spectacle but also an effective way to clear an area. Bypassing chemicals and controlled burns are pluses for local ecosystems and air quality. The caption also noted that even the goats' poop was an asset for the project. The Trail Conservancy had plans to plant native plants that could benefit from the rich fertilizer.
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"They EAT poison ivy?! They're professionally trained?! This is so METAL," one exclaimed.
"What a cool and sustainable way to clear the landscape in the area!" another remarked.
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