Goats are Coming to Schuylkill River Greenways!

The mission of the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area is to connect residents, visitors and communities to the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail by serving as a catalyst for civic engagement and economic development in order to foster stewardship of the watershed and its heritage. In addition, SRG works to improve river health through good stewardship and environmentally conscious construction and project.  If the river isn’t healthy, then our communities won’t be either!

Reeser’s Landing in Exeter Township, Berks County, is one of the most popular landings on the Schuylkill River Water Trail and was acquired by SRG to preserve and improve public water access to the Schuylkill River for boating and fishing.  Because it is currently not able to accommodate all the boaters, anglers, and walkers that use the site, Schuylkill River Greenways entered into partnership with funders and the township to create a recreation space that is beautiful, accessible, and safe for all.

So-why are we hiring goats?  We are so glad you asked!

1. The goats will improve our ability to manage the property! Goats eat any type of vegetation that is green and leafy including anything that has thorns or is hard to reach. Being that most of the property (like most of the Schuylkill River banks) is dominated by invasive species, they will mostly be eating the troublesome species
2. Removal of invasive species improve biodiversity.  Once the invasives are removed, our staff will be able to introduce native plantings to the property and improve the quality of the environment and health of the soil in the immediate area.
3. Riverbank stabilization is essential to soil health. None of us like a muddy river!  Invasive plants are by nature competitive-choking our native species that have evolved to bolster soil and reduce erosion into the river.
4. Goats are adorable!

We’ve partnered with Amazing Grazing, a Chester County, PA based business that provides environmentally friendly land management and brush & weed control through targeted goat grazing. They provide contract grazing services on both private and public land-from overgrown backyards to larger acreages.  The goats can eliminate noxious weeds including poison ivy, restore native grasses, and address fire prevention through fuel load reduction.

This project, and others like it, help to improve the quality of the riverbanks, the soil, and the water.  Everything we do through the northern counties of Schuylkill and Berks has a direct impact on water health downriver through the suburban counties and into the City of Philadelphia.

The acquisition of the property was made possible with funding from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and a donation of land from the Reeser Family