Beginning today, Hot Springs National Park will enlist the help of a herd of goats from Stafford Goat Rental to manage invasive plant species for the next five weeks.
With many species of invasive plants growing in areas of the national park where herbicides cannot be used, the National Park Service is trying a potential solution to its invasive species problem -- a four-legged solution.
The goats will work to clear, or eat, the invasive plants in a 3-acre field that was planted with pine trees 10 years ago in an effort to restore the area's original habitat, Shelley Todd, natural resource program manager, said in a news release.
"Many of the pines have not thrived due to overcrowding and shading by invasive plants like privet, chinaberry, periwinkle and several varieties of bamboo," she said.
In an effort to encourage growth of the pine trees, goats will be fenced into the area where the trees have been protected with mesh, and everything else is fair game for the animals to eat, Todd said. "The grazing action of the goats is expected to kill many invasive plants and expose other plants that they don't eat for mechanical removal by park employees."
After the project is complete, NPS employees will conduct an analysis of the area to determine the effectiveness of the goat project and whether it should be part of future invasive species management in the park.
Local on 06/28/2016