Intelligent, agile, hardy, and with a steel-like stomach, goats may be the perfect animal. For people living with the intense invasive plants of the Lower Hudson, they can be a helpful tool for conservation.
MRG uses innovative conservation methods to maintain its ecosystem – from controlled fire to tiny biocontrol insects. And goats. Invasive species, such as oriental photinia, multiflora rose, and linden viburnum, can dominate the landscape, outcompeting native plants and altering the habitat. Goats, as natural browsers, eat these invasive plants, helping to reduce their spread. This method is a sustainable approach to conservation by integrating a natural process into habitat management practices and, when combined with other methods, is effective in restoring the health of the forest ecosystem.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation / Land Trust Alliance helped fund the “Gateway to the Gorge” project. MRG worked with Fat & Sassy Goats to deploy twenty goats to manage invasive plant species around the Preserve trailhead and parking lot that pose a threat to native flora and fauna. The goats alone cannot eliminate the invasive species but have reduced the overall biomass of plants in this area, allowing MRG staff the space to follow up with manual and chemical treatment methods for more complete effectiveness.
