The city of Arlington has 400 new employees with four stomachs, cloven hooves and a penchant for mischief.
The city announced last week it will use goats to chow down on privet shrubs that were choking out native post oak trees.
The goats, from the group Open Space Development, offer Arlington a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of clearing out invasive species from Randol Mill Park.
In an Instagram post, the city said there are more than 400 goats in the professionally managed herd.
"They were released on a mission to clear invasive species, free waterways, and reduce fire danger through an environmentally friendly method without the use of heavy equipment, harsh chemicals, or costly crews," the city said.
This isn't the first time the city of Arlington has employed goats, but it's this herd's first season on the job.
And if their work so far is any indication, they can expect a stellar performance review, said Quincy Crow, the project's shepherd.
"The goats are not only agile and small and can fit into tight spaces but they love terrain," Crow said. "Rather than cut this plant down and stimulate growth, [the goats] are pulling all the green, photosynthetic material off and traumatizing the shrub."
The goats not only prevent regrowth, but they also avoid eating native hardwood. And as they eat, they drop fertilizer that benefits native grasses.
While the cost of hiring a herd is comparable to hiring a landscaping team, Crow said the herd rarely incurs additional costs.
"We have had many discussions with contractors regarding ‘apples-to-apples’ comparison for using ruminants versus labors and machines," Crow said. "While the landscaping method may be comparable in price, this operation would need to access routes for trailers and machines. The project would also incur dumping fees and produce a lot of green waste."
It's an ancient practice dating back centuries, but it's seen a revival on the West Coast recently as California has used ruminants to clear vineyards, solar farms and terrain in forests to reduce fuel load.
"We pride ourselves in working with HOAs and Municipalities to get into hard-to-reach or neglected green spaces," said Crow.
Last year, another herd successfully landscaped the Crystal Canyon Natural Area before navigating around an unsecured fence — turning the Arlington Police Officers into goat wranglers. The goats were successfully returned to their grazing grounds and no such mischief has been reported from this year's herd.
The goats will head back to Crystal Canyon later this month to finish the job.
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