COLUMBUS — A herd of more than 30 goats is helping out a Columbus water reclamation plant by clearing acres of overgrown and invasive vegetation.
The goats, who are owned by Lauren Cain, are from a local Pataskala-area farm through “Goats on the Go,” according to our news partners, WBNS.
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The herd is currently grazing at the Southerly Water Reclamation Plant, where they are working to clear about 1.6 acres of poisonous brush and vegetation.
The animals are being used to reach areas that are difficult and sometimes even dangerous for people or machinery to access.
Cain described the places as “areas that you literally can’t physically can’t get into to start doing some chemical or mechanical control.”
Among the plants that are being eaten are Callery pear trees, which are an invasive species throughout Ohio.
“They smell terrible, and they spread everywhere,” Cain said. Fortunately, “Goats love them. They’ll eat all the leaves and strip the bark.”
Kenny Taylor manages the maintenance at the facility. He said that traditional removal methods can be challenging in specific parts of the property.
“We found this to be the way to do it,” Taylor said regarding the goats.
Officials said the approach is both cost-effective and eco-friendly, reducing the need for chemical treatments and extensive mechanical clearing.
The goats can clear one acre every seven days, said Cain.
They are expected to be done with the job in about a week and a half, maybe longer, due to recent flooding.
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