🐐 Goats Return to Don Valley Brick Works Park for Eco-Grazing Project
Toronto’s eco-herd returns to Don Valley Brick Works Park as part of a growing climate-friendly initiative to manage invasive plants and restore native habitats.
Back for a second year, the City’s Prescribed Goat Grazing Project uses goats to manage meadow ecosystems by removing woody vegetation and non-native plants that threaten the health of Toronto’s urban meadows. The goats arrived Tuesday and will graze through Wednesday in a controlled section of the park.
An eco-herd of goats are grazing for two days at City of Toronto’s Don Valley Brick Works Park
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— City of Toronto 🇨🇦 (@cityoftoronto) June 10, 2025
This initiative made headlines last year when Toronto became the first municipality in Ontario to launch a citywide ecosystem management program using goat herds. The 2025 effort focuses on a new section of meadow within Brick Works Park, reinforcing the City’s commitment to sustainable land management.
“I am happy to see the goats help the City of Toronto sink its teeth into an innovative way to enhance parkland management,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “Initiatives like these highlight how we can creatively maintain Toronto’s important urban meadows.”
The benefits of prescribed grazing go beyond landscaping. The process helps regenerate native plant species, improve soil quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions—offering a natural way to boost biodiversity while cutting down on fuel-powered equipment use.
“Projects like this are important,” added Councillor Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale). “They help maintain a diverse urban forest, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build resilience to climate change.”
🌿 A Natural Workforce, Carefully Managed
The goats are monitored around the clock, with access to shelter, fresh water, and veterinary care. They graze within a secured enclosure and are never used for any purpose other than ecosystem management. Their social grazing habits also promote healthier soil through natural aeration and seed dispersal.
The City continues to partner with the Toronto Field Naturalists, who are supporting a volunteer-based monitoring protocol to track environmental changes before and after grazing events.
More information about the project and updates on future grazing locations can be found at toronto.ca/Grazing.
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