They’re baa-ck. Goats return to Bear Creek to eat weeds, help mitigate fires
Photos by Christian Murdock, The Gazette
Grazing goats have returned to Bear Creek Regional Park, hungry and ready to do their part in limiting the risk of wildfires in Colorado Springs.
For the past 25 years, Goat Green LLC has trucked 400 to 800 goats to Bear Creek for 10 days to graze on the tall grass and noxious weeds in the area to help improve soil health and mitigate fires.
ABOVE: Becky Martinez tries to persuade a goat to eat her grass while Andrew Kurth watches Friday, while 425 goats graze on the grass outside the community gardens in Bear Creek Regional Park.
Christian Murdock/The Gazette
ABOVE: Becky Martinez tries to persuade a goat to eat her grass while Andrew Kurth watches Friday, while 425 goats graze on the grass outside the community gardens in Bear Creek Regional Park.
“Not only do we and the goats know the land, but the land knows us,” said Lani Malmberg, co-owner of Goat Green.
“They’re highly intelligent. Some of these goats have been here for the past 10 to 12 years in a row.”
The herd of 425 goats will graze the 20 acres surrounding the park’s community garden through April 13, chowing down on tall grass and weeds while naturally fertilizing the soil.
Cashmere goats, the breed of choice for Goat Green’s herd, are able to digest noxious weeds without becoming ill, Malmberg said. The goats can consume about 3% of their body weight in dry matter in a single 24-hour period.
The goats first came to the area in 1999 to decrease the use of herbicides along the community garden perimeter.
“We’re really proud that we can demonstrate to the public that this is a wonderful weed management tool,” said Karen Stith, who serves on the board that oversees donations for the community garden.
The project is funded through community donations and money from El Paso County. Stith said the goats’ impact does not go unnoticed by gardeners and the community.
“One of the park maintenance people said to me the other day that this 20 acres is some of the best land in Bear Creek Park. The soil and land are in such great condition, and that’s because of the goats,” Stith said.
Conner Hancock is in charge of maintaining the goats at Bear Creek. He moves the herd to a different part of the park daily using an electric fence perimeter. This year the four-legged firefighters have their work cut out for them, he said.
“We have a lot more growth throughout the state because of the rain last spring,” Hancock said.
Malmberg said she’s proud of the relationship Goat Green has forged with Bear Creek Regional Park over the past two and half decades.
“This business is built on trust and respect between us and the animals, not voltage in a fence,” she said.