Over 400 goats have been enlisted to help clear an invasive plant species at Arlington’s Randol Mill Park.
This marks the city’s latest attempt to combat the spread of the “Chinese Privet” plant without depending on harmful chemicals or heavy machinery.
The herd began grazing Monday and will spend 10 days clearing an overgrown area north of Randol Mill Park, using the environmentally friendly “goatscaping” method to target the invasive plant. If not appropriately managed, Chinese Privet can directly threaten the local ecosystem, waterways, and the area’s general fire safety.
The goats, managed by the Lewisville-based firm Open Space Development, are part of an ongoing, grant-funded program aimed at reducing the spread of invasive plants while enhancing the city’s parks and natural spaces.
Unlike traditional land management practices, such as using heavy equipment or spraying herbicides, goats work through thick vegetation by eating the leaves of invasive plants. This process stresses the plant, disrupting its ability to photosynthesize, which weakens and kills the invasive species over time. The herd’s progress is carefully monitored by an on-site manager who oversees the goats’ grazing patterns, ensuring they stay within the designated areas using fencing and herding dogs.
In addition to clearing invasive plant species, the goats will help reduce fire risk in Arlington’s parklands.
By eating the thick underbrush, the goats are reducing the amount of dry, combustible vegetation that can fuel wildfires during Texas’ hotter months, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
This isn’t Arlington’s first venture into using goats for land management. Last year, the city first employed the method, launching a five-year program to eradicate Chinese Privets in several parks completely.
Once the herd finishes its work at Randol Mill Park, the goats will move to the Crystal Canyon Natural Area, located near Hurricane Harbor, later this month. Some park areas will be closed to the public while the goats graze.
The goats have already become local celebrities.
Last February, when they were used in the Crystal Canyon Natural Area, around 200 goats managed to escape their enclosure, causing a brief commotion as they wandered through nearby neighborhoods. Police were called to help corral the goats, who were all safely returned to their grazing site, per Fox 4.