Pets of OMP: Meet the Goats Eating Invasive Plants at Bowers Harbor Park

(Editor’s Note: If you have a pet or animal story you’d love to see featured in Old Mission Gazette, contact our Pets of OMP columnist Paula Kelley, [email protected], or me, [email protected], and I will pass your info along to Paula. Read on for her note about the adorable GoatWork goats who are working hard to eat invasive plants at the Bowers Harbor Natural Area. Big thanks to Parks Committee member Michele Zebell for arranging to have the goats at the park and fundraising to make it happen. -jb)

Hello, Old Mission!

This week I was able to spend a delightful time with the goats working at Bowers Harbor Natural Area (BHNA) to remove invasive species. BHNA is a 60-acre addition to Bowers Harbor Park, and includes trails through open fields, with plans to keep the addition in a natural state.

However, invasive species such as autumn olive and spotted knapweed are quite prominent in the natural area. The Peninsula Township Parks Committee was able to obtain a grant through the Grand Traverse Band of Ottowa and Chippewa Indians to fund the GoatWork project. GoatWork is an extension of YouthWork Conservation Corps, a statewide organization that uses youths to assist other organizations in trail building, creation of boardwalks, forestry management, and, of course, the GoatWork program.

As part of Old Mission Gazette’s Pet column, I wanted to find out more about these goats who work tirelessly to chew up the invasives at the park. I spoke with YouthWork Program Director Ashley Ayala and Tenzin, a YouthWork member, who told me the GoatWork team now has 15 goats that are a mix of Alpine and Nigerian Dwarf breeds. 

On a typical day, anywhere from 7 to 12 goats get selected to go to work at BHNA, depending on which ones are behaving nicely with the others. On average, a herd of 15 goats will clear about two acres of invasives in one week. While goats are typically known for eating everything in sight, they do know which plants to avoid. Milkweed, for example, is toxic to them so they instinctively avoid those plants.

Ashley explained to me that goats have four stomach chambers and a two-way esophagus, which allows them to re-chew food that is passed from one stomach chamber to another and back to the mouth. The food that comes back from the stomach to the mouth is what is referred to as “cud.”

This process helps to break down the plant material even further so that by the time the fibers are eventually passed through the stomach and eliminated as waste, there are relatively little seed pods. Hence, the goats won’t be “re-seeding” what they have just cleared. Read more about goats chewing cud here.

The GoatWork herd was acquired through donations of animals by local farmers. When not working around the state, they live in a large barn off Cedar Run Road. The barnyard is on about two and a half acres and includes all sorts of fun climbing structures for the goats to play with. 

The GoatWork crew is active from May to August in various locations, and they will be at BHNA from Mondays to Thursdays through the end of July.

The goat pen and shelter are accessible to visitors from either the parking lot at Bowers Harbor Park off Bowers Harbor Road, or the parking lot off Devil’s Dive Road. The trails to the viewing pen are clearly marked by blue arrows. 

Dogs are welcome to walk to the goat area, but must be on a leash and should not approach the goat pen (leashed dogs are also required by Grand Traverse County law). The pen is electrified, so please don’t touch it. 

The staff from YouthWork will be on site and are happy to answer any questions from visitors. Ashley estimates that about 20 visitors a day have stopped by to visit the goats since they first arrived at BHNA on July 7.

– Paula Kelley, OMG Pets Columnist

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