The City of Red Deer has hired a specialized and environmentally friendly crew to tackle some problem weeds.

A herd of nearly 200 goats will spend the weekend eating noxious plants; in an effort restore a parcel of farmland at Piper Creek Gardens.

“We have a whole lot of thistle on the creek, we have toad flax in here, we've got some noxious weeds that we wanted to control,” said City of Red Deer Parks & Ecological Services Coordinator Ken Lehman.

What makes this herd the best option is that they don’t graze like cattle or sheep. They’re considered ‘browsers’ - so instead of snacking on grass, they much prefer munching on weeds.

“That's just helping really finesse the landscape, they eat the seeds and they eat the foliage of the weeds as well so it's a win, win with the goats,” explained Jeannette Hall of Baah’d Plant Management and Reclamation.

Hall’s company travels all over the province with her team of hungry goats.

She said they have many advantages when it comes to weed control, “They actually destroy the seed so they aren’t just redistributing it.”

The gardens are on a piece of former farmstead, just south of the landfill in Red Deer. Over the years, the plant life along the edge of the creek has deteriorated, allowing more space for the weeds to grow.

“When we look at food forests, and community gardens and bee habitats we’re starting to look at the landscape as a whole and starting to change our management practices,” said Hall.

She explained that the four-legged animals are also beneficial to the soil since they destroy the seeds, but also put stress on the roots when they eat them, making it harder for them to grow back - which is why the city chose the eco-friendly option over chemicals to kill off the noxious weeds and bring the creek back to its former glory.

“We want to see that vegetation come back because it restores the biodiversity to that area and just improves the health of the environment,” said Lehman.

The pilot project is also a part of ReThink Red Deer’s Piper Creek Restoration Project.

At the gardens, volunteers have created a pollinator garden and food forest which hosts over 150 different types of ecologically friendly plant species.

“It’s really looking at restoration of the land using agriculture, and creating this lasting legacy that then we can benefit from for years,” Lehman said.

The herd will be at the gardens throughout the weekend, the public is invited to visit them Friday from 10 am until 2 pm.

If you happen to miss them, the city says the crew will be back for a few years to come.