How the goats of Pilot Knob are helping fight invasive species
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
A group of goats has taken up temporary residence in Mendota Heights as a way to fight invasive -- and sometimes natives that are too abundant -- plant species.
Twelve goats -- borrowed from the Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul and Pechacek Farms in Denmark Township -- are spending about three weeks at Pilot Knob Hill, a city-run natural area that includes restored prairie. They arrived last week.
Wiley Buck, a restoration ecologist with Great River Greening, helps maintain and manage the restored prairie. Last year, his group brought in horses to help manage vegetation with the hope they'd eat some of the bluegrass to make room for planting more native plants.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.