The city of Pflugerville welcomed back a herd of over 400 goats to parks and greenbelts across the community in mid-August to act as natural lawnmowers.
The big picture
The city has been bringing in the goats, and a few sheep, twice a year for the last four years. Through a partnership with GoatScaping LLC, the animals are herded through different parks throughout the city.
GoatScaping LLC is family-owned, and uses goats and sheep to naturally clear brush, weeds, and invasive plants in municipal parks, green spaces and commercial properties.
More details
The goats are able to access areas that traditional landscaping equipment can’t reach, including creek beds, steep slopes and uneven terrain, according to a press release from the city. By grazing on grass, overgrown brush and poison ivy, the herd helps the city maintain green spaces in a sustainable way.
Pflugerville Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Achee said the goats work for about eight weeks and maintain 100 acres in the city.
“It cleans up a lot of the flood plain, it helps with fire mitigation and it's incredibly cost effective,” Achee said. “Since there’s 400 goats, it gives some of them the opportunity to rest while the others are working and they'll switch off. They really have the best job. They get to travel the state and eat and rest.”
Their steady munching reduces the need for chemicals and heavy machinery, and they typically clear 1-2 acres per day depending on vegetation thickness, according to the press release.
“We have limited resources and 1,700 acres of parkland,” Achee said. “This allows our team to go in after them and maybe clean up some larger stuff, some larger trees and things that they really couldn't get to without this brush being cleared.”
The goats will journey through Bohls Park, Gilleland Creek Park, Murchison Park, Pfennig Park, Pfluger Park, Swenson Farms Park and the Carmel Greenbelt. Achee said there is a herder who moves them to each new area.
There is not a specific date or time the herd will reach each location, and the city asks the public not to feed or pet the animals.
One more thing
Achee said one year, there were 20 goats born during the time they were traversing through Pflugerville, and residents voted to name two of the goat kids. This year, Pflora and Pfauna are back working here as adults.
