What do the goats on Austin's Hike-and-Bike Trail do?

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin's cutest lawn mowers have returned to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.

The goats are back to work cleaning up vegetation and poison ivy near the trail along Lady Bird Lake.

It's not the first time the goats have worked on the trail.

The Trail Conservancy started the goat program in 2023 to clear harmful plants, such as poison ivy, along the lakeside trail. They munch on noxious and invasive plants along the trail in groups of about 150, according to the nonprofit.

Trail Conservancy Park Operations Director Grady Reed said the biggest thing the nonprofit does is take care of the natural areas along the trail, or the spaces that aren't mowed on a regular basis. He said the goats help safely manage vegetation and harmful species in the natural areas.

"In these spaces, they're really creating an opportunity window for us to safely go in and help reduce some of the poison ivy, but then work on our other invasive species, like the vines and giant reed [grass] and elephant ears," Reed said. "But not all spaces on the trail are, are fit for this type of vegetation management."

Reed said poison ivy itself is a native species and provides food and habitat for a lot of other native insects and birds. However, Reed added it's difficult to work around it and invasive plant species along the trail, so the goats help create a safer work environment for staff and volunteers.

The goats are placed in a fenced-off area, where they eat most of the leaves off of the vegetation. After that, the Texas Conservation Corps and The Trail Conservancy go into the area and reduce the height of the poison ivy and invasive species, before the goats are moved to another area where they repeat the process.

Reed said the program has been pretty successful so far, but that the nonprofit is "still in the early stages," and that it will "take years before we know whether it can truly be a sustainable option long term." But for now, the goats help The Trail Conservancy get a safer window into helping reset a landscape with a higher density of native plants.

Eighty-five goats will eat about an acre per day.

The Trail Conservancy rents the goats through Rent-A-Ruminant and works with the City and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department to coordinate with staff to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of managing landscapes, Reed said.

The Trail Conservancy fully funds the program, but they also have an Adopt A Goat program that allows people to help sponsor it. A gift of $250 — or a monthly recurring gift of $25 — will give the donor a certificate with their furry friend's name.

Once the goats have completed their work in Austin, they will move on to another city where they will do the same work before they return to the Texas capital in August, according to Reed.

People passing the goats on the trail should not pet them, Reed said. While it's safe for them to be working in and eating poison ivy, they carry a lot of those oils on their fur that can transmit the poison ivy or other contaminants to people.