Land Trust hires goats for vegetation management project

Submitted by the East Haddam Land Trust

After years of battling invasive plants with loppers, saws, flamethrowers, volunteer work crews, and the occasional muttered complaint, East Haddam Land Trust has announced a bold new strategy: hiring a highly motivated herd of goats.

The goats, collectively known as “Billy and the Kids,” have been contracted to tackle dense patches of invasive vegetation on one of Trust’s preserves. Their primary targets include multiflora rose, bittersweet, Japanese barberry, and other unwelcome botanical troublemakers that have been crowding out native plants and degrading wildlife habitat.

“We reviewed several management options,” said Pete Govert, part-time Executive Director of EHLT. “Then we discovered that goats will happily work all day for a modest salary consisting entirely of leaves.”

Unlike traditional contractors, the goats require no power tools, generate almost no noise, and are remarkably enthusiastic about working weekends. They have also demonstrated a willingness to climb steep slash piles, squeeze through dense thickets, and ignore poison ivy entirely.

Early reports indicate the crew arrived on site highly energized and immediately exceeded productivity expectations. Within minutes, supervisors observed several employees working on hind legs to reach difficult vegetation while others focused on quality control by eating nearly everything in sight.

“We’ve never seen such dedication,” said Ralph Chappell, stewardship chair. “Or such an appetite.”

The land trust emphasized that the project is about much more than simply removing invasive plants. Once the goats have completed their assignment, the land trust will begin restoring the area with native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.

The long-term goal is to create a healthier and more resilient ecosystem while reducing the dominance of invasive species that threaten Connecticut’s forests and fields.

The goats themselves declined to comment directly but released a brief statement through their public relations representative: “Maaaa.”

Residents may notice temporary fencing around the work area. The Land Trust asks visitors not to feed the goats, challenge them to eating contests, or attempt to recruit them for private landscaping projects.

The East Haddam Land Trust protects about 1,000 acres of conserved land throughout the community. While volunteers remain at the heart of its stewardship efforts, directors acknowledge that occasionally it helps to have a workforce with four legs, iron stomachs, and an unwavering commitment to eating weeds.

EHLT is grateful to the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Committee and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, who funded the grant that brought the Raptor Ridge goats to town.

For more information about becoming a member, working the land, or donating money, please visit EHLT.org.