BURSTWhen you think of goats, you might picture cute, four-legged mischief-makers capable of eating just about anything in their path – from underwear left hanging on a clothesline to, according to one person, an entire couch.
Fire service volunteers probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind.
While tales of goats devouring unusual objects may be more myth than fact, there’s no denying their appetite can serve a useful purpose. The critters enjoy nothing more than munching through invasive plant species, and as a result, helping reduce the risk of wildfires.
“Goats love the things we don’t love,” said Langford’s FireSmart coordinator Courtney Tremblay.
At Langford’s first-ever ‘Goats in the City’ event Saturday (Aug. 23), folks had the chance to see ‘goatscaping’ in action and learn more about wildfire mitigation.
Among the curious crowd were Kala Halasz and her son, Jayden, who were witnessing these hairy lawnmowers at work for the first time.
“We love animals, and the goats are very nice,” she said, as Jayden watched a spotted goat while enjoying a Rocket Pop. “It’s a fun event, and it’s smart to get animals that are happy out here eating all of this stuff.”
After watching the goats at work, Halasz said they have what it takes to become Langford’s newest landscapers.
“With all the pathways they’re making, for sure, absolutely,” she said with a smile.
Standing nearby with his wife and young son was Anthony Yu, who, like Halasz, was watching the fire-smart goats at work.
“It’s always nice to see something different, so we’re enjoying it,” he said. “We’ve heard about it online, but this is the first time we’ve ever seen it in person.”
For the troublesome – and flammable – Himalayan blackberry encroaching on the parking lot beside Starlight Stadium, its worst nightmare arrived in the form of a herd of 13 hungry helpers from Vancouver Island Goatscaping.
“I am still amazed at my before and after photos of the projects that we work on,” said Natasha Murphy, owner of Vancouver Island Goatscaping. “They really clear the area out, and my clients are always so excited to have the goats on site.”
On an Alberta farm, Murphy studied the effectiveness of goat browsing on invasive plant species as part of her master’s thesis on ecological restoration.
“They had 350 goats, and we were on horseback with dogs, herding the goats,” she said.
Research completed, Murphy returned to South Nanaimo with a single bottle-fed goat. From there, her herd grew into the gang of goatscapers they are today.
For the past six years, Murphy and her goats have been putting their appetites to work, helping clear unwanted vegetation from residential and commercial properties. In 2024, the herd was enlisted to tackle English ivy on land owned by the Victoria Airport Authority in North Saanich.
“People love the idea, and they love having goats – they do a great job,” said Murphy.
If left to their own devices, Murphy estimates the herd could clear the blackberry from the Starlight Stadium parking lot in a few days. Their prehensile tongues allow them to safely eat through prickly bramble without hurting their mouths.
“It depends on the species and density, but a goat can clear about five to 10 pounds of material a day,” she said.
With names like Vindaloo, Dahl, Nibbler, Bunny and even Lucy – short for Lucifer – each goat has its own unique personality, says Murphy.
“Goats are so fun,” she says. “We go for hikes, and they are better behaved than most dogs out there.
“They’re good eaters and so darn cute.”
And her herd definitely love to eat blackberry.
“I have not seen them eat a tin can or undies,” says Murphy with a laugh.
Beyond clearing invasive plants, goatscaping offers an innovative approach to wildfire mitigation — one that FireSmart coordinator Courtney Tremblay hopes will get Langford residents thinking about how they can better protect not only their own properties, but the wider community.
“All of Langford is within 1,200 metres of the forest, so we are at risk,” she said. “We’ve seen what’s happening on the mainland. Eventually, at some point, the same thing will happen here, so we need to start exploring ways that we can protect our city.”
A late-July lightning strike that sparked a small wildfire in Goldstream Provincial Park, with smoke visible from Bear Mountain, served as a timely reminder of that risk. The fire was declared out by the BC Wildfire Service three days after it began.
“The whole community has to get involved to make FireSmart effective,” said Coun. Mary Wagner. “The fire department can do what they can do to raise awareness, the city’s doing their part, but we all need to work together on this and make ourselves FireSmart.”
Tremblay hopes the herd of goatscapers might visit Langford on a regular basis, but notes the urban setting does present some challenges.
However, ‘Goats in the City’ will return as an annual event, she says.
“It’s just a really exciting way to explore different methods of wildfire mitigation and to get people talking,” said Tremblay. “It’s very budget-friendly, it’s very environmentally friendly – no pesticides – and they can work where machines can’t.”
With files from Olivier Laurin.