The Wascana Centre Authority has brought in a herd of goats to deal with a baa-d weed that has overrun a natural grassland area in Regina.
Naturalist Jared Clarke says the goats have a penchant for the invasive caragana plant that has grown exponentially in the habitat conservation area near Wascana Hill.
The 40 goats were brought in from a farm near Edenwold as part of a four-day pilot project that got underway Friday.
“The goats are a natural way of dealing with this invasive species,” Clarke said. “They’re going to come in, strip all the leaves off the plant and set the plant back a bit.”
Clarke says allowing the goats to graze in the fenced-in area is not only eco-friendly, but cost effective. In addition to eliminating weeds, the goats also work the ground while spreading nutrient-rich manure.
He says if the pilot project is successful, Wascana Centre will look at bringing the goats back periodically to munch on the caragana plants during the summer months.
The public can get a glimpse of the goats at the habitat conservation area this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m.
