Goats Provide Sustainable Landscaping

Facilities with a lot of brush to clear have traditionally relied on herbicides to remove the weeds, which is effective but can lead to chemical leakage in the groundwater and nearby waterways. Manually pulling the weeds is more friendly to the environment but requires a lot of effort and time on the part of the landscaping workers.

Facilities, such as the wastewater treatment plant in Barnstable, Mass., are using workers who eat their way through the weeds, brush, and shrubbery— goats, Valley News reports.

The goats do a thorough job—leaving the ground they cover practically bare of vegetation. They work from sunup to sundown, taking short breaks under a tented shelter. They’ll eat any kind of plant, even poison ivy, with no ill effects.

Weed and brush control is just one part of routine landscaping maintenance, which includes mowing, mulching, and trimming. Learn more tips for maintaining a healthy landscape at your facility.