Goats hired to help clean up Pittsburgh parks

PITTSBURGH — Invasive plants have caused problems at several Pittsburgh parks. The solution... goats.

Over the years, native species and wooded areas have been impacted by non-native invasive species, such as the honeysuckle.

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According to our partners at the Trib, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy teamed up with Allegheny Goatscape to have a group of goats remove the plants.

At Frick Park in Clayton Hill, 11 goats and a miniature donkey have been hired to clear the growth.

“They’re a great management tool for controlling invasive plants,” said Philip Gruszka.

Gruszak is the director of horticulture and forestry for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

“Goats are ideal because they eat nearly everything. What’s really wonderful is that goats have a voracious appetite. Their palate is pretty broad, so they can be eating a lot of the common invasive species,” Deming said.

The goats will be protected by an electric fence and an orange construction fence, so park visitors can watch them from a distance as they do their job.

“They’re fun to watch,” he told The Trib. “It’s like having a little zoo in our park.”

Previously, the goats and the miniature donkey successfully removed invasive plants in Highland, Emerald View and West Penn parks.

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Cox Media Group