The goats come back for annual work at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust last week. The trust utilizes goats from the company Scapegoats as an eco-friendly way to control invasive and nuisance plants on trust properties. The goats eat poison ivy, bittersweet, sumac, Japanese knotweed, Japanese honeysuckle, and many more unwanted species.

The Scapegoats herd consists of seven, and is a mix of Alpines, Oberhaslis, a Lamancha and a Nigerian Dwarf goat. They vary in size and height to effectively browse the low and hard-to-reach nooks and crannies as well as the high grounds.

Here’s how it works:

The Scapegoats company uses an electric fence to surround the perimeter of the area where the goats will feed. The fence keeps the goats in the area while preventing wildlife, including coyotes and stray dogs, from getting in.

The goats graze all day, devouring the vegetation in their path at an approximate rate of a half-acre per week per seven goats, and in the process, they leave behind their nutrient rich manure as a natural ground fertilizer. Goats crush what they eat, and in the process destroy any invasive plant seeds they may consume, ensuring the any seeds they may pass will not be viable.

When the goats have done their work, fabric ground covers are placed over the area for a period of time to prevent regrowth.

For more information about Scapegoats, visit www.ecoscapegoats.com. For more information about Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, visit www.kporttrust.org.

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