The city of Arlington wants to maintain Randol Mill Park and keep it beautiful for residents to enjoy, and they’ve hired wildlife to help do so.
Currently, 300 goats are eating the overgrown areas of the park, specifically the invasive privet shrubs, which can choke out native post oak trees.
Evidently, goats love privet shrubs.
Arlington Parks and Rec Assistant Director Michael Debrecht told NBC DFW, “So obviously, the goats need to eat, and so we provide them with their food. What they're eating is what we don't want.”
This is the second year Arlington is utilizing goats from Open Space Development. Using goats is more cost-effective and better for the environment.
"We do it this way because it's also good for the earth," Debrecht said. "So the goats ingest it and it goes back to the earth. Mechanically, it's a little more invasive.
“You can't quite target in on those root systems because you can damage other trees as you go, and then herbicide of course can get in water systems if you're not careful."
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