They’re baaaaaaaaaack! The goats, that is.
More than 40 goats and two guard dogs have descended on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus to assist with landscaping. Located on the large hill just south of Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard and north of GWCC’s Building B, the goats are baaah-ck for their bi-annual maintenance of the steep parcel of grass, ivy, and brush.
Locally-owned by Get Your Goat Rentals, the herd travels to properties all over metro Atlanta to munch on greenery. Along with an electric fence perimeter, they’re protected by a one-year-old brother-sister duo of Great Pyrenees guard dogs. And while they have already attracted a fair amount of gawking from drivers, pedestrians, and PATH construction workers along Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. and Gray Street, the dogs are more inclined to protect the flock from predators, such as hawks and foxes, at night.
Why use goats, you ask? It’ll take the goats up to a week to finish the job, and while this is quite a bit longer than what it would usually take for a traditional landscaping crew, each goat will devour up to 10 pounds of tasty greens per day. They’re also supporting the Authority’s strategic effort to reduce its environmental footprint by minimizing the use of noisy gas-powered landscaping equipment. They’ll even leave their own personal, organic fertilizer on the way out.
If you, too, are looking for a distinctive way to celebrate Earth Month, consider using these four-legged gasless lawn mowers for your own property or business.