Officials turn to unlikely helpers to clear dangerous growths from green spaces: 'A new way of thinking about land management'

Heavy-duty machinery? Labor-intensive manual removal? There might be more effective and lower-impact methods of clearing invasive plants from sprawling, dense, and remote sites — and the answer may lie in goat grazing. 

These animals are "browsers," actually, as opposed to "grazers," which means that they enjoy feeding on higher-growing vegetation, including shrubs, branches, and tree leaves, rather than only eating greens at ground level, as sheep and cows do. This makes goats great candidates for clearing land of tightly packed weeds, wildfire-starting brush, and the invasive growth that threatens native plants.  

In mid-May, WOSU Public Media in Ohio profiled Goats on the Go, a network of goat grazing affiliates located throughout the United States, with herds on standby.

WOSU spoke with farmer Lauren Cain and Tracy Chesney, who've both been running their own businesses through Goats on the Go.

"I don't know if I'll ever get tired of watching them eat — I just really enjoy it," said Chesney.

Passersby often find the goats cute, especially when they're hard at work. What officials in the city of Columbus, Ohio, saw was that other municipalities were having success incorporating goats into their land management strategies, so they recently hired Cain's and Chesney's herds to tackle some green spaces in Central Ohio.

Animal grazing, such as by deer, has previously been considered damaging to the land and bad for carbon storage. But research has found that's not quite the case. 

Trees in grazing areas have adapted to have more resilient roots, which can store more carbon than initially thought. Grazing becomes destructive only when an area's vegetation has been severely depleted.

Meanwhile, goat grazing can have multiple environmental benefits in addition to removing the invasive plants that can wreak havoc on delicate ecosystems. Not only can goats often reach areas that are tough for equipment to maneuver around, but letting the animals loose to munch away can avoid the deployment of typical management tools, like heavy machinery and harsh chemicals, which can damage fragile habitats. 

In Ohio, for example, there's a steep hill that could be hard for humans and machines to navigate, Tina Mohn, the conservation administrator at Columbus Recreation and Parks, told WOSU.

Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely 👍 Only if it saves money 💰 I'm not sure 🤷 No way ❌ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Goat grazing can also be used to reduce the brush that can act as kindling for wildfires. And, according to the outlet, "Most of the seeds [the goats] eat are non-viable after digestion," so the growth typically stops with them.

Goats can eliminate the need for laborious work and gas-powered tools. And, all told, the move in Ohio could save Columbus anywhere from $3,000 to $11,000 on this one land management effort while reducing the city's environmental footprint 

"It's a new way of thinking about land management, and we're really excited," said Mohn.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.