Cities and organizations in the US state of Maryland have found
an original and ecologically sound method to cut the weeds from
their parks and gardens: Bring in the goats. Brian Knox, owner
of Eco-Goats, a business based in Davidsonville, Maryland, said
the hungry animals graze on dense vegetation and munch unwanted
weeds and invasive plants while also leaving fertilizer behind
for the grasses that people want. "There is poison ivy and all
kinds of stuff that you know people don't want to go in there
for, and the goats don't seem to mind that much," he said. Eco-
Goats, which has been in business for three years, often brings
dozens of goats to the site that a customer hopes to clear, then
puts up electric fences and allows the goats to graze for days.
One group of 30 goats can clear 100 square meters of brush per
day, according to Eco-Goats. Because the animals are agile and
good climbers, they can often get to hard-to-reach vegetation.
When the work is finished, the goats have left behind their
droppings wh