Eight hundred goats are “baaaack” for another year of grazing and removing weeds and pests at Calgary’s Nose Hill Park, the city said Wednesday.
Namely, they will be trotting through 58 hectares of Rubbing Stone Hill Natural Parkland Zone for 14 days until Aug. 27.
The City of Calgary says goat grazing is meant to restore the “ecosystem balance” by removing excess vegetation, reducing fire risk, and promoting biodiversity, according to the city, and is a “natural and chemical-free solution to managing invasive plant species.”
“Their grazing allows more native plants to thrive, which in turn supports healthy wildlife habitats. Additionally, goat droppings fertilize the soil, and their hooves help till and aerate the ground, improving soil health,” a release reads.
Additionally, the goats replace large herbivores, such as bison and elk, that helped maintain the land. However, officials say their loss has led to an “overgrowth of vegetation and encroachment of shrubs and trees into the grassland ecosystem.”
This comes after CityNews spoke with a Calgary resident about noxious weeds taking over parts of the park. The city said goats would be brought in, along with planned volunteer pull events to deal with the weeds.
The weeds in question are nodding thistle and Canada thistle, which are to be regulated or eliminated through the Alberta Weed Control Act.
Nodding thistle is considered a prohibited noxious weed, while Canada thistle is a noxious weed. The province says noxious weeds can spread rapidly, cause severe crop losses and economic hardship, while prohibited noxious weeds are typically not seen in Alberta.
The goats will be monitored around the clock by a shepherd and trained herding dogs, according to the city.
Program ambassadors will be at the park near the 64 Avenue NW parking lot on specific days and times to “educate the public on the value of targeted grazing.” The ambassador schedule can be found here.
However, portions of Nose Hill Park and its pathways will be temporarily fenced off to the public to accommodate the goats.
Physical interaction with the animals is prohibited, but the park will remain open to the public. The city is also asking cyclists to slow down when near grazing areas, and for residents to obey all signage.
The goat grazing program began in 2016 as part of the city’s plan to restore 20 per cent of open space in Calgary by 2025.
With files from Micah Quinton