Officials turn to unexpected helpers to transform wildfire-prone park: 'Really cool'

As wildfire threats increase across the U.S., communities are exploring new strategies to manage vegetation and reduce risk.

In one Honolulu neighborhood, the solution is both unconventional and refreshingly simple: let animals do the work, according to Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Earlier this month, city officials closed Laukahi Slopes Mini Park in Waiʻalae Iki and fenced off the 3.5-acre hillside. Then, about 100 goats and sheep were brought in to graze.

The herd, provided by local company Oʻahu Grazers, was tasked with clearing dense brush and dry grasses in areas too steep for regular maintenance.

This marks the first time the City and County of Honolulu has used prescribed grazing in a public park.

The approach takes advantage of the natural foraging habits of livestock: goats eat woody plants and shrubs, while sheep graze on grass and ground cover. Together, they offer a low-impact alternative to mechanical or chemical methods.

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Elizabeth Kiefer, a nearby resident and chair of the neighborhood's Firewise USA chapter, helped organize the effort after earlier attempts to clear vegetation by hand had little effect.

"The first thing we did as a Firewise community is try to cut down some of the flammable hale koa trees and cut down some of the vegetation, but that didn't really make a dent," she said.

A grant from Firewise helped bring in Oʻahu Grazers, whose work has mostly taken place on remote solar farms. This residential setting brought added challenges, including concerns about pets and potential theft. Still, it has drawn positive attention from neighbors.

"To have this environmentally friendly way of addressing the issue and do it in a way that's just so creative and different is really cool," said resident Matt Elliot, who watched the animals arrive with his young son, according to Hawaiʻi Public Radio. "And to have a 5-year-old son, this is amazing — like the best thing that could happen."