“Haverford” in Welsh, according to one translation, means “goat crossing.” So, it seems appropriate that, this week, we welcomed a herd of those furry, hoofed creatures to campus as a means of keeping invasive plant species under control. Yes, the goats are adorable—some of the 28 goats are kids who were just born this spring—but they are also here to do a job, munching underbrush and problem vegetation like kudzu and poison ivy and fertilizing the surrounding soil in the wooded area across from the Duck Pond.
These goats (from Eco-Goat) are a natural, sustainable alternative to herbicide and they are helping to keep our arboretum campus beautiful. Lots of folks have come out to check out these latest additions to our campus wildlife, and local media is abuzz too. And who can blame them when “going green” is this cute?
Photos by Brad Larrison.