Goat for it! Goatscaping tackles overgrowth on Vancouver Island
A herd of hungry goats is making quick work of invasive plants right here on Vancouver Island, munching their way through tough foliage one chomp at a time.
At the Victoria Airport, you might spot a herd of furry landscapers now munching away at all the invasive species, all part of a unique eco-friendly cleanup strategy from the Vancouver Island Goat Association.
Oceanside Goatscaping, led by Moira Barron, also offers this surprisingly effective service to both private and public properties on the Island.
Barron, who lives and works out of the Cowichan Valley, says that goatscaping is a big business in California, where she learned the trade.
âWe started Oceanside Goatscaping in January, and goats have been huge for clearing landscapes across California for years,â she shares, adding that in some cases, massive herds are used with horseback riders, herding dogs, and even Great Pyrenees guard dogs to protect against coyotes.
Moira Barron/Provided
But why goats?
âGoats eat scotch broom, blackberries â plants that create a thick, hard-to-reach tangle in overgrown areas,â explains Barron.
With no need for loud machines or herbicides, the goats are gentle on the land and highly efficient too.
âThere are alleyways I’ve worked on [that] are so overgrown you couldnât walk through them. Now, after the goats, itâs completely opened up.â
Hiring the goats doesnât just make sense for large projects either â Barron says they often take on private jobs, too.
âWe do a lot of private backyards, and it usually costs around $500,â she shares.
With the goats on site and Barronâs team guiding them, this eco-conscious approach to landscaping is a hit with locals looking to keep nature in check and is part of a larger trend of goats taking part in regular parts of human life (such as the popular goat yoga).
Whatever floats your goat, we guess!