Talia Montgomery of the Dublin area often runs through Antrim Park in northwest Columbus.
On Tuesday, something stopped Montgomery in her tracks: goats.
"I love it," Montgomery said. "It kind of took me out of my normal routine and it's really cool. They look like they're having fun, especially the ones down by the water."
About 20 goats are grazing along the park's pond. The goats arrived on Saturday and will stay two to three weeks to "landscape" the area. They're there to eat invasive plants like honeysuckle and poison ivy.
It's a pilot program for the city of Columbus, though goat landscaping is becoming more widely used in central Ohio. It's also this herd's first time in a public park.
Tracy Chesney, who hires the goats out through Goats on the Go, said they were adjusting nicely.
"They wandered a little bit the first few days they were here. They were a bit out of sorts, acclimating to an area that's really different with all the public and everything. But they seem very much themselves here today and even last night," Chesney said.
Chesney said it's been fun seeing the reaction of people like Montgomery, who stop to take photos or observe the goats.
"[The goats] tend to congregate when they're resting where the people are watching them. And for us driving up, we see all the people thinking that they're goat watching and we know that our goats are people watching," Chesney said.
The goats are behind a double fence and will work one small area at a time as they move along the bank of the lake. Part of the trail is closed while the goats are in the park.
The goats' services cost the city of Columbus about $4,100, but Columbus Conservation Administrator Tina Mohn said that's much cheaper than using a human crew with equipment, which would have cost closer to $7,500 or $10,000.
Plus, the goats come with the added perk of raising awareness around conservation issues.
"Even those diehard cyclists or runners or folks that are out for their walk, they're still stopping. They're making a point to stop, to ask questions, to just observe," Mohn said. "It's been really interesting just in the exchange, the dialogue with some of our community members that are utilizing the trail."
Mohn said if the goats are successful in Antrim Park, the city may consider using them again, possibly as soon as this fall.
