HOUSTON – A group of goats is going to be hired to help clean up the Houston Arboretum.
About 150 goats are going to be placed in the 2.5-acre area near the wildflower trail beginning on May 4 to clear the overgrown grass, according to a news release from the Houston Arboretum.
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The animals belong to Kyle and Carolyn Carr, the owners of the Rent-a-Ruminant company that uses animals to provide landscaping services.
The goats previously helped the city in May of 2022 when they ate the grass by the 610 parking Loop, and now they will be hard at work at the arboretum for around 10 days. People can stop by to visit them.
Staff asked resident to please not touch or feed the animals. The best way for people to get close to the animals is to enter the arboretum through the woodway entrance.
“We feel like the goats are almost family now,” said Debbie Markey, executive director at the Houston Arboretum. “They have been onsite several times in the last few years to assist with removing overgrown vegetation and invasive plant species. This eco-friendly alternative to commercial mowing and herbicides is working. This time the goats will focus on clearing out the dense understory thicket to create a more diverse and open woodland habitat.”
Markey said the goats also bring in a lot of families to the location.
“It’s a great opportunity to introduce children to these wonderful animals and to watch them in action,” she said. “They can learn about nature, how plants and animals are important to our eco-system and why this is a healthy way to manage land.”
The arboretum is open every day from 7 a.m. until dusk. It is $5.50 for parking, and it is free on Thursdays. Arboretum members do not have to pay for parking.
For more information about the arboretum, click here. You can also call the Houston Arboretum at 713-681-8433.