This is the fourth year KCT has utilized goats from the company Scapegoats as an eco-friendly way to control invasive and nuisance plants on Trust properties. The goats eat just about anything-from Poison Ivy, Bittersweet, Sumac, Japanese Knotweed, Japanese Honeysuckle, and many more invasive and unwanted species.
The Scapegoats herd consists of 7 goats-and is mix of different goat breeds, including Alpines, Oberhaslis, a Lamancha and a Nigerian Dwarf goat. They all vary in size and height to effectively browse the low hard-to-reach nooks and crannies as well as the high grounds. If needed, more goats will be brought in to help eradicate vegetation.
Here is how it all works: Scapegoats installs an electric fence surrounding the perimeter of the area where the goats will feed. The fence keeps the goats in while preventing wildlife and stray dogs from entering. A tarp for shelter from the elements and plenty of fresh water is set up within the fenced area.
The goat herd is brought in and they begin their landscaping work immediately. Goats graze all day, devouring the vegetation in their path at an approximate rate of a half-acre per week per 7 goats. In the process, they leave behind nutrient rich manure as a natural ground fertilizer. Goats crush what they eat, and in the process destroy any invasive plant seeds they may consume, ensuring any seeds they may pass will not be viable.
When the goats have finished, Scapegoats truck the goats back to their home base and disassemble the enclosure. If needed, fabric ground covers are placed over the newly landscaped area for a period of time to prevent regrowth.
Kennebunkport Conservation Trust intern and UNE student Patrick Richardson recently conducted an invasive species report focusing on 6 invasive species that have been identified on KCT properties. Richardson describes each invasive in detail, explaining how to identify the plants and bushes, where to look for them, why they pose a threat, and the official status of these invasive species from the state of Maine. With the help of goats, the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust is gaining control of these invasive species in the landscape naturally.
The findings from Richardson’s report are as follows:
- Asiatic Bittersweet has a severely invasive status according to the Maine Natural Areas Program and is widespread throughout the state of Maine. Bittersweet appears as a woody vine that will wrap and grow around mature trees climbing into the canopy. In doing this it chokes out the tree eventually killing it. It has also been known to crawl along the forest floor preventing native species from growing. It grows in forests, along forest edges, in old fields and prefers direct sunlight over shade. It doesn’t like to grow in areas that are too wet and generally prefers drier to moist soils, tending to remain away from wetland habitats with standing water.
- Shrubby honeysuckle is the general classification for the different types of invasive honeysuckle species throughout Maine. They are severely invasive and widespread throughout the state. They are woody shrubs with shaggy bark and can be confirmed via a hollow pith within the stems (when a branch is sliced there will be a hole that goes all the way through the center of the stem). Honeysuckle is highly capable of invading the understory in forest environments and choking out native plants due to being shade tolerant. It tends to prefer forests and forest edges being able to grow in drier to moist soil conditions and is highly adaptable being able to grow in nutrient-poor soils as well.
- Multiflora Rose is a very invasive deciduous shrub that is widespread throughout the state of Maine. The species has white flowers and is distinguished by stipules where the leaf attaches to the twig itself similar to barbs pointing toward the leaf. No other rose found within the state has this characteristic. Multiflora rose is slightly shade tolerant but prefers areas where it can get full sun like disturbed areas, forest edges, or old abandoned fields but is less common within the forest interior unless disturbances present themselves like timber harvesting. It tends to prefer drier to moist soils limiting its range around wetlands and locations of standing water.
- Burning Bush is a severely invasive plant species that is widespread across the state of Maine. Burning bush is identified by its bright red color when in bloom and its extremely unique wing-like features along the stem. It is highly shade tolerant and capable of forming extremely dense thickets of itself to choke out native plant species. It prefers forests and forest edges to grow and develop but will thrive under a full canopy and has the ability to invade locations without canopy disturbance. It tends to be tolerant of well-drained to moist soils with it being intolerant to dry and very wet soils. Burning bush in dense thickets will create a tight root system making it practically impossible for other species to grow underneath, choking out whole sections of forest from other plant species.
- Japanese barberry is a severely invasive and widespread plant species in the state of Maine. It is a woody shrub with bright red berries and prickers that stem from within the leaves. It has the ability to move through its life cycle in complete shade but will be more robust in full-sun environments. The species can be found invading existing forest floors, forest edges, old fields, and disturbed habitats like old timber grounds. It prefers dry to damp soils, preferring it slightly wetter than the other invasives here.
- Glossy Buckthorn is a severely invasive and widespread plant species in the state of Maine. Glossy Buckthorn generally presents itself as a small woody shrub with shiny/glossy leaves with lenticels (little notches in the bark of the plant), and bright red colored roots when pulled from the ground. Glossy buckthorn prefers forests and wetland environments sticking to soils that are wet to moist. Buckthorn is incredibly competitive as many invasives are and has been found to reduce native tree seedling density by dominating the forest floor.
FMI on Maine invasive species: apps.web.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invsheets.htm
FMI on Scapegoats: www.ecoscapegoats.com
FMI on the KCT: www.kporttrust.org