The goats are coming back to town! From July 23 to July 25, Seattle City Light’s favorite "employees" will be returning for their sixth year on the job as vegetation managers at Seattle City Light’s North Substation.
One of the goats that helped clear blackberry vines at North Substation in 2007.
The goats are coming back to town! From July 23 to July 25, Seattle City Light’s favorite employees will be returning for their sixth year on the job as vegetation managers at Seattle City Light’s North Substation.
Thick, overgrown blackberry bushes have grown up around the substation, but they will be no match for the hungry goats! Goats have tough mouths and digestive systems that don’t mind the thick thorns that make blackberry removal tough for humans. They also eat leaves and shrubs while leaving the roots intact – protecting the soil from erosion.
Natural vegetation management using goats has become increasingly popular, thanks to its low cost and environmental friendliness – and of course, the cuteness of the contractors!
City Light’s goats come from Healing Hooves, a company in eastern Washington that provides goats for natural vegetation management projects. The goats will be inside a fence while they work. Seattleites are welcome to stop by and say hi, but remember, the goats have a job to do!
Goats have proven to be very effective at removing blackberry vines from steep slopes that are otherwise hard to clear.