Goats arrive in Riverside Park to eat invasive weeds
MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- The goats dubbed the "summer interns" have arrived at Riverside Park to take care of pesky weeds.
The 24 goats will feast on invasive species of weeds including Japanese Knotweed, Wineberry, Poison Ivy, Mugwort, English Ivy and more.
"It's like treating them to an all-you-can-eat-buffet. It's healthy for the goats and good for the environment," said Dan Garodnick.
Garodnick runs the Riverside Park Conservancy. He used to be a city councilman and knew goats would charm the masses.
"Gotham really means Goat Town, we were amused by that connection so we decided to call the whole thing Goatham because we put the goat in Gotham," he said.
The goats will stay in a fenced-in area for 30 days, then the native plants will have a few weeks to grow before some of the goats return for the remainder of the summer through August.
The urban greening project costs $45,000 and money was raised through donations.
Visitors can get acquainted with their new neighbors thanks to goat bios that line the fence.
The Prospect Park Alliance used goats in a similar mission in 2016.
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