The city of Red Deer has found a very eco-friendly way to care for its green spaces.
Instead of some of the machinery and chemical agents, the city uses a herd of more than 400 goats, which work all summer in parks and natural areas, eating invasive plants and weeds.
On 2 October, at the nature centre Kerry Wood Nature Centre a special day was held: Meet & Bleat — residents could get a closer look at the unusual “landscaping crew.”
The goats work simply and effectively.
They are released onto areas where herbicides are undesirable or machinery is difficult to use. The animals eat weeds, browse unwanted vegetation and help keep it from spreading.
What is especially convenient is that goats can reach places where an ordinary lawnmower finds it hard to get to.
The result is an almost ideal municipal worker:
it doesn’t ask for petrol,
doesn’t require complex equipment,
and, most importantly —
eats its own work assignment. 🐐🌿
For the city, this is not just a fun event, but a quite practical way of caring for natural areas.
And for residents, it is a rare chance to see what a landscaping service looks like when, after its shift, it simply goes on chewing grass.
