(Colorado Springs, CO) If you have recently been to Bear Creek Park in Colorado Springs, you might have noticed a large goat herd on the east side of the area near the community gardens.
Hundreds of cashmere goats come to work at the park every year.
This hungry group loves to munch on weeds, including noxious ones that can be dangerous to other animals. Goats are an environmentally friendly alternative to harmful pesticides. They prefer weeds to grass, so when they find an area rich in these treats, they are in culinary heaven.
While the goats are walking around munching on vegetation, their hooves help to aerate the ground allowing oxygen and nutrients to penetrate the soil. Additionally, goat waste products provide fertilizer. These animals clear out unhelpful vegetation while aerating and fertilizing the soil, which helps return the land to its natural, healthy state.
Goats are also helpful wildfire mitigators. They are browsers, not grazers like cattle and sheep, and prefer to reach up and eat the leaves on trees or shrubs. A herd of goats can quickly clear out dry vegetation that provides fuel for a fire. Without fuel, a fire won’t grow.
This multi-purpose animal can reduce fire risk and beautify the land by doing what it loves — eating!
Who can we thank for this hard-working herd? The Bear Creek Garden Association (BCGA) runs the Charmaine Nymann Community Garden on the east side of Bear Creek Park and funds the goats.
The community garden is the oldest one in the Pikes Peak Region, and you can learn more about the association here.
If you want to hire goats to work on your land, Lani Malmberg of Goat Green, LLC has over 1500 cashmere goats available to help you out. These goats are deployed all over the Western States, including right here at Bear Creek Park.
According to her website, Malmberg's goats work for approximately 12 years and then they retire to a ranch in Wyoming to live out their remaining life in a peaceful environment. A well-deserved rest after a job well done!
The goats will be at Bear Creek Park for a few more days, so stop by and see the herd.
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