Goats Return to Quarry Park to Combat Invasive Species

(KNSI) – The Stearns County Parks Department says the kids are alright.

For the second year in a row, goats will graze on buckthorn and invasive species at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve in Waite Park. The plant can crowd out native shrubs and trees birds use for nesting. It’s part of a three-year plan to clean up nonnative plants from the park.

The goats ate 90% of the buckthorn in a ten-acre area in 2022. The four-legged lawnmowers will be placed in the same locations to eat any regrowth. The Goat Watcher Volunteer Group will monitor the animals in a fenced area. The organization is looking for volunteers to keep an eye on all the kids. To become a volunteer, email goatdispatchinfo@gmail.com

The herd is here thanks to a partnership between Stearns County Parks, Great River Greening and the National Wild Turkey Federation. The three groups are working on restoration of 90 acres of Quarry Park’s forest, wetland, and rock outcrops.

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