Photo credit: Jacqueline Bowen
Goats? Why do we want goats in the neighborhood? Well, it turns out that these guys have a taste for poison ivy, which grows a bit too happily on the grounds of Congressional Cemetery. Bringing in goats is not only fun for neighborhood kids to watch, but it is an environmentally friendly alternative to herbicides. And given the cemetery’s location near the Anacostia River, we applaud efforts to reduce the use of anything that can add to the river’s pollution issues.
During the goats’ 24-hour visit to the grounds, they will graze on unwanted vines, poison ivy, ground cover, “all while depositing their own slow-release fertilizer.” Yep, the poop is actually welcome.
You can see the goats for yourself this Thursday, August 6, at the Congressional Cemetery at 1801 E Street SE. The Browsing Green Goats of Prosperity Acres in Sunderland, Maryland will be contained in a fenced-in wooded area along the cemetery’s perimeter, where they will be easily visible to cemetery visitors from dawn to dusk for the duration of their stay.
Press Release:
WHAT: Goats Grazing the Graveyard: Media Event
WHEN: August 6, 2015; 1:00 pm
WHERE: Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
WHO: Paul K. Williams, President, Historic Congressional Cemetery; Mary Bowen, Browsing Green Goats of Prosperity Acres
The goats are coming, the green goats are coming! Yes, the goats are returning to Historic Congressional Cemetery for a second round of heavy-duty landscaping.
The goats are coming to this Historic National Landmark on Capitol Hill to perform their 24-hour grazing that clears out invasive vines, poison ivy, ground cover and other unwanted vegetation, all while depositing their own slow-release fertilizer. The Browsing Green Goats of Prosperity Acres in Sunderland, Maryland will perform their environmental magic along the perimeter of the cemetery.
The use of goats eliminates the need for harmful herbicides and prevents the invasive species from killing large mature trees in the cemetery’s wooded area. If the vines are allowed to grow too thickly they can strangle the trees, which can fall onto the grounds and damage valuable historic headstones. The goats’ presence will also help the cemetery’s honey bees, because removing invasive species allows the bees’ preferred native species to thrive.
The goats will be contained in a fenced-in wooded area along the cemetery’s perimeter, where they will be easily visible to cemetery visitors from dawn to dusk for the duration of their stay.
Congressional Cemetery is a private cemetery established in 1807, and is the final resting place to more than 65,000 individuals, from ‘residents to President’s alike.’ For more information on Historic Congressional Cemetery http://Congressionalcemetery.org or visit us on our social media sites, Facebook and Twitter, and Instagram.