No, your eyes are not deceiving you: There are goats in the Park. Goats and sheep to be specific. They may bring along a guardian dog to keep an eye out for predators.
Brought to you by RVA Goats and Honey with substantial support from Sports Backers, the goats have been enlisted by Andrew Alli and his team with the Park’s Trails Crew to munch away at the abundant kudzu along the North Bank Trail.
Kudzu is originally from East Asia. It was brought to America in 1876 by a Japanese delegation to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Because it’s dense and fast-growing, it was marketed as a great erosion prevention plant, and gained widespread use along America’s roadways. The problem is, it can grow a foot a day, and it completely covers and smothers everything in its path. Trees can’t get the sunlight and nutrients they need, and the organic matter on the forest floor stops the natural process of decay and renewal.
A few rules if you see the goats:
1) Do not try to touch the goats. They’re busy.
2) Do not feed the goats. They’re busy eating kudzu and have special daily diets.
3) If you have a dog, it must be on a 6-foot leash. That’s for the safety of the working animals, and happens to be a Park rule.
Otherwise, enjoy the goats!