Goats let loose on park weeds
City of Calgary pilot project seen as alternative to using herbicides
CALGARY The city of Calgary launched a new pilot project Tuesday that involves an unconventional form of urban weed control.
A herd of 106 goats are now roaming Confluence Park, herded by a shepherd, dogs and horses.
The goats will be grazing in the park for the next two to three weeks, with the aim of controlling invasive weeds, including Canada thistle.
“We’re interested in looking at ways we can reduce use of herbicides in our parks,” said Chris Manderson, urban conservation lead with Calgary Parks. “We think this will be a really effective way to do it.”
The goats will roam a 35-hectare area in the south half of the northeast park. “The trick will be seeing just how effectively they can get in and target some of the areas where we know we have infestations,” said Manderson.
The cost of the pilot project is about $25,000.
Manderson believes this method will be cheaper than conventional herbicide treatment, which costs about $1,500 a hectare.
The animals will be accompanied 24 hours a day by herders and will be corralled by four dogs and two horses. Professional shepherd Jeannette Hall will stay overnight in a tiny house set up in the park, and the goats will spend the night in a small enclosure.
A team of 20 volunteers will also help with the herd.
“There’s a lot of maintenance,” noted Hall. “It’s like having 106 toddlers, really.”
Hall said the main advantage to goat grazing compared to using herbicide is that the animals don’t affect the pH level of the soil, which can create a hostile environment for plants.
“With weeds, we’re facilitating the natural succession, so we’re targeting the weeds and we’re allowing natural plants to come in,” she told reporters.
The animals are also able to tackle weeds in tricky areas such as steep slopes, and can get to work right after it rains, rather than waiting for the grass to dry.
This particular herd of goats hails from Donalda, although the animals recently spent time in Kamloops, B.C.
The city is asking residents to keep their distance from the working animals, keep their dogs on-leash where the goats are present, and to not approach or pet the goats, dogs or horses. Cyclists are also being encouraged to reduce their speed through the area.
The city will evaluate the success of the “targeted grazing” project once the pilot is complete, and could expand to other natural areas if it’s deemed a success. If the goats complete their weed-control work in Confluence Park in short order, the pilot project could also expand to a site north of Country Hills Boulevard. Those two sites are the only parcels of land excluded from the city’s land-use bylaw, which prohibits the use of livestock.
Calgary isn’t the first city to take this approach to weed control. Other centres that have used animals for controlling invasive species include Fort Saskatchewan, Kamloops, San Francisco and Seattle.
“We’re just really interested in seeing how this works in a big city like this,” said Manderson.
Once the pilot project is complete, Calgarians will be invited to a meet-and-greet event, where they will have a chance to pet the animals and talk to the shepherd.