Goats return to Miami Woods Park to tackle invasive plants

HAMILTON, Ohio — The Hamilton Parks Conservancy and MetroParks of Butler County are bringing back an unusual — and effective — way to fight invasive plants: goats.

Now in its second year, the “Meet the Goats” program brings a herd from a local farm to Miami Woods Park, where the animals graze in targeted areas to help clear invasive species that threaten the health of the park’s ecosystem.

“They clean up all the invasive species that we don’t want in our backyards and we certainly don’t want in our parks,” said Scott Wingate, deputy director for MetroParks of Butler County. “Because when we have invasive species, our ecosystems don’t function as well as they should.”

Wingate said the program is beneficial on multiple levels — helping remove invasive plants while also reducing the resources needed for traditional removal methods.

“It’s a wonderful vacation,” Wingate said of the goats. “They’re able to stretch their legs. They’re able to walk around and have a diverse diet. Oftentimes in farm settings, it’s… limited their diet.”

The goats are fenced into specific sections of the park where invasive growth is most problematic. While they’ll eat what’s available, Wingate said they’re surprisingly efficient.

“Anything in their field of view can be on their menu to eat,” he said.

The goats may also munch on native plants, but Wingate said that’s not the long-term concern.

“You’ll be able to see sort of a line where they’ve grazed… and taken out a lot of the invasive species in addition to the native species,” he said. “But so long as we clear out the invasive species, our natives will come back year over year.”

MetroParks said the herd can clear about an acre per week, and the goal is to continue the program in future years.

Wingate said the “Meet the Goats” program is expected to return again next year, but visitors can catch the goats in action at Miami Woods Park through Wednesday, May 27.