Riverside Park's gardening goats will return this July

Some of New York's favorite four-legged guests are returning for their annual summer internship.  

Riverside Park Conservancy’s weed-eating goats will return to the Upper West Side on Friday, July 7, where they'll spend the summer eating weeds and educating the public about local sustainability. 

This will be the fourth year a team of goats helps clear invasive plants from the steep western slopes of Riverside Park’s Forever Wild woodland between 119th and 122nd Streets. Goats are particularly helpful in this area, which is treacherous and nearly inaccessible to human gardeners thanks to aggressive growth. The goats love snacking on poison ivy and other invasive species, helping create space for more ecologically suitable plantings in the area.

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The goats' tenure will kick off with a special Goatham festival and ribbon cutting at the Conservancy’s new Compost Compound. The event will run from 11am- 2pm and include a meet and greet with the goats, Charlie, Cowgirl, Mallomar and Chico, plus local vendor booths, live music, goat-themed merchandise, photo-ops, arts and crafts, and educational activities for all ages. the goats will be the guests of honor at the “ribbon chewing” for the Conservancy’s new Compost Compound at 95th Street adjacent to the West Side Highway.

“As we combat an ever-present climate crisis, we must continue investing in green initiatives and educational opportunities. The Riverside Park Conservancy serves as a great example, successfully implementing creative educational strategies that we can all enjoy in a beautiful green space,” said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. “We look forward to the Goatham Festival and the new Compost Compound. The goats have a lot of work to do!”

And because this is New York, these goats are here to hustle. All four goats will be competing “hoof-to-hoof” all summer long. The season will culminate with a public "Vote-the-G.O.A.T." contest and awards ceremony in late September.