Goats provide district with eco-friendly maintenance

Norwin School District is turning is an alternative solution for maintaining rough terrain on the district’s steep, hilly landscape. Since July 31, a herd of seven goats from Nuisance Wildlife Solutions has been taking care of the shrubbery typical machinery can’t reach, increasing the safety of students and staff and ensuring an attractive campus. According to a district news release, the solution is also likely to cut down on reseeding, since goats also eat most of the seeds that weeds and other vegetation leave behind. It also is expected to help reduce the district’s ongoing problem with groundhogs by removing some of ground cover the animals prefer.

The goats are in a fenced area to separate them from people on campus and are being cared for the Nuisance Wildlife Solutions staff. Signage has been posted to discourage people from disturbing the “working” goats.

Using goats for landscape maintenance where rough terrain exists has a number of advantages, said Norwin Superintendent Dr. Jeff Taylor. “It is a cost-effective practice that doesn’t jeopardize employee safety and, because herbicides are not used, it is environmentally friendly. I anticipate that other school districts will be interested in exploring this solution for steep, overgrown areas on their properties.”