Goat herd as ecosystem reclamation tool – profile in land and management

by Gregory Horner, Tomkat Ranch

Highlights

In Wyoming, goats were used to restore the habitat destroyed by oil well facilities.

• The company, Goat Green, was hired by Chevron to graze the land after herbicides and machinery failed to help restore the land to it’s previous conditions
• Over 1000 goats were able to eat the weeds taking over the land and  are able to chew the seeds finely so they do not re-sprout in their manure 
• The introduction of the goats on the land lasted 10 years and helped the soil regain its health and restored native vegetation
• Soil testing showed a 25% increase in soil organic matter after the goat experiment ended

The Climate Center advocates for policies to fund and support carbon sequestration through healthy soils to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions at the speed and scale required by the science.

Read more: https://tomkatranch.org/2020/02/26/goat-herd-as-ecosystem-reclamation-tool-profile-in-land-and-management

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Nina Turner

Nina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University. She has experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism. Nina is currently the Energy Program Coordinator and produces the bi-weekly Clean Power Exchange newsletter.

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