Goats Clearing Brush in Billings Park!
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Goats are hard at work cleaning up Billings Park!
The goats are from Regenerative Ruminants, which is the herbicide alternative land management run by Drifty Acres Farm in Poplar.
They’ve been munching down on Buckthorn, an invasive species that have been overtaking native plants in the park for over a decade.
The goats will much down the buckthorn, weakening it over a few scheduled grazing’s.
They’ll be back in August, and a few more times over the next couple years until the Buckthorn is gone.
“Goats are especially adapted for browsing on brush. They love anything thorny, prickly. They are not phased by it. They don’t need lush grass. They can survive and thrive on these sort of brushy, less than desirable plant species.” said Jake Williams, Goat Farmer at Drifty Acres.
Goats were an ideal first choice.
Because the park is right on the water, herbicides are less ideal, and getting people onto the hillside for digging it up would be more difficult and cost more.
If the goats aren’t successful, the city will look at other methods.
No matter the method, the buckthorn needs to go for the health of the forest.
“Because the buckthorn and the honeysuckle are so competitive, they are able to grow fast in in any environment, and they’re they choke out the rest of the native species. So, by removing the buckthorn and honeysuckle, we’re allowing for a much more diverse ecosystem in this forest floor area.” said Ryan Wintlend, Superintendent of Parks, Rec, and Forestry.
The goats are enclosed in an electric fence for their protection, with a second outer fence to keep people away.
They have access to fresh water, and famers are tending to them daily.
They’ll be moved around building park over the next couple weeks.
After that, they’ll move on to their next job.
If you stop by Billings Park to check them out, follow the posted signage. Do not enter the fenced areas or try to feed or pet the goats.
Wintlend also mentioned the need for an assessment of Buckthorn’s spread through Superior Municipal Forest.
Goats would not be ideal for the greater forest as it’s so large, but crews can safely use herbicide to clear the Buckthorn there.
