The goats Charlie, Cowgirl, Mallomar and Chico are in charge this summer of eating the weeds that grow on the rocks of the Forever Wild section, a protected natural area and bird sanctuary of Riverside Park, a park that borders the Hudson River in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The presentation of these brushcutter herbivores took place this Friday at the Goatham festival, which was held in the same park with music and various booths related to the environment.
Attendees treated the ruminants like members of a rock band, taking selfies with the goats and trying to get as close as possible to the animals.
The Riverside Park Conservancy, the civil association that helps the city in the maintenance and improvements of the Park, placed an announcement on social networks before the event and invited the public.
“Are you ready for the ultimate goat celebration ever? 🐐🎉
“We’re getting ready to welcome our goats with our first ever Goatham Festival!
“TOMORROW, 11 AM – 2 PM @ 95th Street Compost Compound,” the message read.
Are you GOAT-ing ready for the ultimate goat celebration? 🐐🎉
We’re preparing to welcome our goats back with our first ever Goatham Festival!
TOMORROW, 11 AM – 2 PM @ the 95th Street Compost Compound pic.twitter.com/apFbXEqmGW
— Riverside Park Conservancy (@RiversideParkNY) July 6, 2023
Marcus Cáceres, one of the organizers of the event who works for the conservation of this park, told Efe that the goal is for these goats to eat the invasive species that grow in that area in the next two and a half months.
“It’s really difficult for us to work in that space because it’s very treacherous, there are a lot of downed trees, poison ivy and a lot of obstacles that make it much more difficult for our staff to work there (…) We thought of an innovative way to get some extra help making the goats come help us,” he noted.
Cáceres pointed out that this is also a very ecological way of pruning the area, since it avoids the use of pesticides, and that these types of animals are generally very friendly.
“Goats are very sociable. It’s even difficult for us to convince them to eat because they prefer to interact with people passing by,” he notes.
Regarding the clamor for this type of animal in the Big Apple, Cáceres noted that these goats have a “fan club.”
“(The goat) Mallomar has been with us for about three seasons. And he does a fantastic job. But in general all (the goats) are very friendly and sweet. And each one of them has their own personality,” he noted.
Nina Chatel and Julia Goldstein, two residents of the neighborhood who came to the fair today to meet the new goats, told Efe that what they like most about these animals is “how adorable and nice they are.”
Cáceres explained that the goats in charge of cleaning this part of New York are part of Green Goat, an organization that gives a second life to goats and sheep that have been abandoned or have “retired.”
Likewise, he noted that these types of animals are used to eat all kinds of invasive plants in various parks in New York City, such as Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, and Governors Island, on this island south of Manhattan.
2023-07-08 16:21:00
#York #turns #goats #clear #rougher #parks
