City of Toronto Tests Goat Grazing for Sustainable Land Management
Toronto ON – In a bid to enhance parkland management, the City of Toronto is introducing a novel approach—prescribed goat grazing. This innovative pilot project aims to maintain the urban meadow at Don Valley Brick Works Park, a crucial ecosystem that boosts habitat diversity in the city.
Prescribed grazing, the practice of using livestock to manage vegetation, addresses issues such as invasive plant species, woody vegetation encroachment, and soil improvement. Over an intensive two-and-a-half-day period, approximately 40 goats will graze the meadow, helping to protect and sustain this important habitat.
City of Toronto tests goat grazing as a new sustainable land management tool.
News Release: https://t.co/LM4PmH2Uze pic.twitter.com/yIxVeLd7pA
— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) June 24, 2024
Ensuring the safety and welfare of the goats, the public, and park staff is a top priority. The goats will graze within a secure enclosure, allowing them to exhibit natural herd behaviors. They will have constant access to water and shelter, with 24-hour supervision and on-call veterinary care.
To assess the pilot project’s effectiveness, the City has partnered with the Toronto Field Naturalists (TFN) to develop a monitoring protocol. This will evaluate the meadow’s condition before and after grazing, providing measurable outcomes and benefits.
If successful, the City may adopt rotational grazing at Don Valley Brick Works Park in future years, potentially extending this sustainable practice to other urban meadows and parks across Toronto.
For more details on the goat grazing pilot, visit the City’s webpage at toronto.ca/Grazing.