Wirth Park Uses Goats to Control Invasive Plants
Goats will help clear seven acres of Theodore Wirth Park in Golden Valley from invasive plants like buckthorn, honeysuckle, garlic mustard and creeping Charlie. It will take the goats about a week and a half to munch through the seven acres.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s use of the goats is environmentally friendly. However, the goats will not completely eliminate the invasive species. It takes several years to successfully remove invasive species through techniques like controlled burning, hand pulling, mowing and using goats.
The Wirth Park goats are eating twigs and leaves in areas that have already had large tree-sized buckthorn plants removed.
Hennepin County has also used goats to help eradicate unwanted plants. See that story here.