2026 Goats at Fairweather Preserve

The Goats are back!

Healing Hooves will be back to help mitigate the invasive species growing in Fairweather Nature Preserve. Goats are naturally agile animals who can easily navigate steep slopes and uneven terrain. They enjoy eating plants that typically irritate humans, such as poison ivy, poison oak and English ivy. This method also results in reduced labor, herbicide use, fuel use, noise and soil disturbance from heavy machinery. Goats can safely consume enormous amounts of biomass and at the same time sterilize weed seed in their digestive process rendering the seeds infertile. Goats have been used successfully by many of our neighboring municipalities and locally by Overlake Golf & Country Club for vegetation management. Please come out and visit the goats but remember to leash your dogs. Be respectful to the working goats by not touching or feeding them.

Project:     Fairweather Nature Preserve Invasive Species Mitigation
Species:    English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)
Schedule:  June 10, 2026 – June 24, 2025
Details:     A mild electric fence is being used to keep the goats contained and supervised by an onsite herder/owner. Signs will be posted around the project area.
Contact:   Ryan Osada, Public Works Director