BVN is taking a new, creative approach to land management, bringing in herds of goats to maintain the prairie’s ecosystem. The Biology department aims to remove invasive species and weeds without disrupting the soil’s genetic makeup. Over four days, the goats were located next to campus, available for students and the surrounding community to see how they transformed the landscape.
For BVN biology teacher Chris Ollig, the goat grazing process is a new maintenance innovation for the prairie.
“With the once-a-year mowing we’ve been doing, we think that it has been disturbing the soil and bringing the ragweed to the surface. So our hope is that the goats will take care of the grazing and not disturb the soil,” Ollig said.
The goats are expected to remove most of the prairie vegetation, leaving the remaining plants to be removed manually.
“Because of the time of year, their stems are a little bit woodier, so they’re not going to necessarily clear it all out. She’s estimating that they will clear out about 80% of the plants, and then I’ll go in afterward,” Ollig said.
BVN explored a variety of companies prior to contracting Goats On the Go for the job. The company’s willingness to work in a densely populated area under unusual circumstances greatly influenced the administration’s decision.
“We looked at several different companies, and she was the first to come out and meet with us, and she met all of our needs,” Ollig said. “She was excited for students to be able to see the goats.”
Ready to get hands-on experience in a real-world scenario, Senior Mia Glasgow reflected on her first interaction with the animals.
“It’s really interesting to see how they work, how they eat and their behaviors,” Glaslow said. “I definitely like going outside more because it kind of just brings the learning out of the classroom and into the real world.”
For many, experiences like on-campus goat grazing can help students engage more in the curriculum.
“I know a lot of people [who] learn best with tactile learning or applying concepts outside of a textbook,” Glaslow said.
The experience enables functionality and offers a unique educational experience for students.
Our field biology class is actually studying animal behavior [that] week, so the timing is perfect,” Ollig said.
A concern about the animals’ arrival would be their impact on the BVN atmosphere. However, students have said that the outcome has been positive and fun in the school environment.
“The student atmosphere has definitely gotten way more positive. It is nice to get outside to get some fresh air [and] sunlight,” said Glaslow.
While the results will appear over a few years, the BVN biology department hopes to implement this landscaping form if proven successful.
“I hope that the goats are successful and that we are able to get what we want out of it with the vegetation being removed, but also that the students have fun seeing the goats,” Ollig said.
