Putting a bite on weeds

Some new members have joined the Springfield Public Schools (SPS) facilities landscaping team - a herd of five goats.

Officials say the goats will mitigate weeds in bioswale, easement, and other areas away from student playgrounds. They add that “environmental guidelines for removing weeds in bioswales make goats an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable method of maintaining these areas.”

“Hand-pulling the weeds is costly and time-consuming,” says Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations Terry Rutledge. “By thinking outside the box, we found a solution that is environmentally friendly, alleviates some of the manual workload of the grounds crew, and provides an opportunity to educate our students on sustainable practices.”

Goats are known for enthusiastically consuming blackberry bushes and for being highly effective at clearing an area quickly. They also like shrubs, woody plants, and thorny weeds. Their repeated grazing can also weaken and kill off persistent species by reducing their ability to regrow.

“They’re little machines,” says Rutledge.

The herd lives in a rural portion of the school district and enjoys a shelter on the property constructed by a Thurston High School career and technical education (CTE) class. Officials said the goats represent a mix of breeds selected for temperament and suitability to the environment. A community member donated the goats to the District.