2 Dozen Goats Unleashed on Park to Control Spread of Invasive Plants

A new, full-time "weeding staff" was delivered to New York City's Riverside Park on Wednesday in the form of two dozen goats. As part of the Riverside Park Conservancy's Woodland Restoration Initiative, these goats will eat their way through a variety of invasive plants in hard-to-reach locations within the park. Five goats will remain in the park through the end of August, giving New Yorkers the opportunity to vote for their Ranked-Choice G.O.A.T in the Vote-the-GOAT election.

The aptly named "Running of the Goats" held on July 14 welcomed the goats back into the city after last year's hiatus. A video posted to Twitter of the event by the Riverside Park Conservancy shows goat fans from around the city lined up to watch as the friendly herd made their way to the park.

"They're baaaaaaaack!" the organization announced in their Tweet.

Even U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, joined in on the fun.

"Thrilled to be in Riverside Park today to celebrate their wonderful initiative using goats to clean up invasive plants that harm our beloved park," he tweeted.

The goats will roam an enclosed, 2-acre area throughout the summer. The designated area for the goats is considered "hard-to-reach" and has become overrun with invasive plants such as porcelain berry, English ivy and poison ivy, among several others.

"The site is on a really steep hill, and it's very difficult to access," Lynda Tower, vice president of operations for the Riverside Park Conservancy told the New York Times. "We have volunteers come clear the species, and it comes back like three weeks later. It's hard to do plantings. It's hard to diversify the site. We finally realized that we were fighting a losing battle and maybe we needed some reinforcements. Hence the goats."

Riverside Park Conservancy isn't the first group to utilize goats in this way. Because goats can traverse through difficult terrain, and because they have an unusually high appetite, farmers often use goats to help control invasive species. In a statement made to the New York Post, the conservancy's president Dan Garodnick likened goats to "weed whackers."

"Since goats are naturally effective weed whackers, putting them to work in 'Goatham' is like treating them to an all-you-can-eat buffet," he said. "It's healthy for the goats and it's good for the environment."

The decision to use goats for projects such as this also allows volunteers to spend time and energy on other conservation efforts.

While the main priority of the Riverside goats is to help mitigate the spread of invasive species, their presence will also provide some much-needed entertainment for the residents of the city.

Five of the goats—Buckles, Chalupa, Mallemar, Ms. Bo Peep and Skittles—will remain in the park through the end of August, and New Yorkers will not only get to meet these goats in person but also vote for their favorite in an online ranked-choice election. Those working with the conservancy will roll out each of the goats' platforms via social media so that residents can make an informed vote.

After a tough year, many New Yorkers are excited to welcome their newest neighbors.

"I'm thrilled to welcome my newest constituents: Skittles, Buckles, Chalupa, Mallemar, & Ms. Bo Peep," tweeted Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President. She dubbed the project an "ingenious way to preserve one of Manhattan's best parks."