WHAT TO DO when a beautiful botanical garden is overgrown with green briars, poison ivy, ragweed, and other undesirable plant species that prevent the growth of new trees? Call in the goats! Specifically, about 120 super cute goats from Rent-a-Ruminant Texas, who return to the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center on Tuesday, June 4, to partake in a week-long banquet of invasive vegetation, effectively clearing three acres south of the meadow between the South Meadow Trail and the Muscadine Trail along the Outer Loop.
All week, visitors to the Arboretum are invited to watch the goats happily chomping away in areas where it is unsafe for humans or heavy machinery to operate. The grazing area is accessible to the public from either entrance and is between a quarter- and half-mile mile walk, depending on which trails you take to get there.
“This eco-friendly alternative to commercial mowing and herbicides is working,” says Debbie Markey, Executive Director of the Arboretum. “And it doesn’t hurt that they are a big draw for the public, especially families with young children.”
Looking at Rent-A-Ruminant co-owner Kyle Carr’s photos of the goats in action, it’s easy to see why these ravenous ruminants are so much fun to observe. Visitors to the Arboretum are welcome to view the goats at work but the staff asks that guests do not touch, engage with, or feed the animals, for the safety of both the animals and people.
Carr and his wife Carolyn operate a ranch in Brownwood, Texas, and have close to 250 goats in their herd, half of whom travel across the state to provide natural mowing services. (We’re told each goat has a name but are unable to confirm that!) This will be the fifth time the goats have visited the Houston Arboretum, which serves over 600,000 visitors annually and is one of the first nature education facilities for children in the state.