Goats Coming To Freedom Park

Goats are coming to Freedom Park. These goats will have a job to do, by helping restore the globally-rare bluff prairie at Freedom Park that has become clogged with overgrowth and invasive plants. Israel Haas, the executive director of the Great River Road Visitor & Learning Center at Freedom Park says, “Many people don’t realize that we’re sitting on a precious resource. The goat prairie is a globally rare habitat, and the bluff looks a little like a jungle right now. It’s overgrown and full of invasive species. That’s why I’m very excited about what goats could do for the bluff. They’re fun to watch, eco-friendly, and efficient. And they’ll help us restore this precious resource.” Freedom Park is doing its part to care for birds such as indigo buntings, Eastern bluebirds, yellow warblers, Baltimore orioles, and more. Eradicating invasive plants, cultivating native species, and managing the site through grazing and controlled burns will make the goat prairie an ideal place for these neo-tropical songbirds to stop on their journey.   

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