Earlier this month, the Chatham Trails area welcomed roughly 20-30 goats to graze buckthorn. Buckthorn, an invasive species plant, has become a concern in some of our parks and trails. As part of an effort to address the buckthorn problem, the City has hired a contractor to bring in a herd of goats to graze down the buckthorn growth in a portion of the Chatham Trails area. This area has previously benefited from volunteers working to remove the more mature buckthorn. Bringing goats in to graze the area will reduce the emerging growth and help stem the further spread of the buckthorn.
Learn more about the goats and how they are helping remove buckthorn by watching this video package created by NineNorth.
Using goats to mitigate buckthorn resurgence is not only an eco-friendly way to address the buckthorn problem but also educational and entertaining. Feel free to walk the trails and watch the goats at work, but please do not disturb them by entering their fenced area or bothering them with loud noises. Please note that some of the trails may be temporarily closed due to the way the fencing may be laid out, so it will be important for visitors to refer to the posted signage. To goats will be there until the end of the month.