Baaa-ck at it: Eco-friendly goats return to Toronto to battle invasive plants

They’re baaaaaack.

A group of eco-friendly goats has returned to Toronto, munching on invasive species that can harm the Don Valley Brick Works Park. Their diet is rather wide-ranging.

“Common Buckthorn, Manitoba maple, and some thistle species. So, the common buckthorn and the Manitoba maple are some of these shrubby trees, and we also have herbaceous plants,” said Cheryl Post, a Natural Environment Specialist with the City of Toronto.

For the second consecutive year, a team of four-legged “eco-warriors” are tasked to help maintain a local meadow. By grazing the land, the goats prevent woody plants like trees and shrubs from encroaching on the open space, supporting the area’s biodiversity.

It’s also an eco-friendly way to help improve soil health that experts say encourages native species regeneration. In 2024, Toronto became the first municipality in Ontario to introduce a goat grazing program for ecosystem management.

“The safety and welfare of the goats, the public and staff are of the utmost importance in the project,” a City of Toronto spokesperson said through a news release.

“The goats are provided a secure enclosure where they can graze together in a herd, which is a natural behaviour. The goats are never used for purposes other than grazing and are always provided direct access to water and shelter, with 24-hour supervision and on-call veterinary care while at work in the park.”

Post says using goats also reduces the need for chemical herbicides or heavy machinery, making it a greener, quieter, and more sustainable way to manage vegetation.

“You can see this one over here is rubbing on the bark, which will also inadvertently help girdle the tree, which we don’t want here anymore. So, [the goats] take a lot of different actions that can help us eliminate these invasive woody species.”

Eco-friendly herd comes to Toronto from York Region

Ian Matthews, the president of Goats in the City, says he was honoured that city officials reached out to him about taking the lead on the project.

“The City of Toronto contacted me first before anybody else, and so it makes me very happy to be able to prove that it works,” Matthews noted.

The herd is brought in from King Township, Ont., by Matthews, who refers to himself as the first-ever “Eco Shepherd.” Originally from Jamaica, Matthews grew up tending goats before leaving that life behind when he moved to Canada. He briefly worked as a mortgage broker before returning to his agricultural roots.

“My dad had some goats, and I just went to help him look after them, and the bug bit again,” Matthews said. “I have a very interesting relationship with the goats. Makes it meaningful. It’s not about money anymore. It’s about helping the environment and doing something that makes you feel happy.”

Matthews says the presence of the goats draws public interest and supports environmental education, especially in urban settings.

The goats will be around Don Valley Brick Works Park on Wednesday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.