Behold the cutest bunch of lawnmowers you’ve ever seen. This May, the Houston Arboretum will go about the restoration of 2.5 acres in a way that’s all natural, deploying a herd of 150 goats.
If a herd of goats teaming up to landscape – specifically eliminating invasive vegetation – in a forested area wasn’t wholesome enough, the GOAT method also means a reduction of chemicals as well as fossil fuel emissions when compared to other means.
“The Houston Parks and Recreation Department is excited to use a variety of methods to help us care for our important natural areas in parks,” said the department’s director, Kenneth Allen. “The use of goats in this manner is a safe and proven alternative to chemical treatments for weed control.”
Funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in partnership Student Conservation Association, the habitat restoration project will see the later organization removing invasive species after the goats have cleared out the vegetation.
“The goats will be placed in the areas with the thickest vegetation to help open it up for our habitat crews to enter safely.”
“Goats are an important tool for HPARD to clear out invasive vegetation in our habitat restoration areas,” said HPARD’s natural resources manager, Kelli Ondracek.
Organizers ask that visitors not interact with the goats while they are engaged with the process.