Targeted Livestock Grazing
The spread of invasive plant species like Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) has become a significant challenge for the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program. These invasive plants negatively impact the environment, increase staff and volunteer labour, and limit our ability to build more aviaries. Traditional management methods, such as herbicides and manual removal, are costly, labour-intensive, disruptive to the critically endangered owls living on site, and can have negative environmental impacts.
That's where targeted livestock grazing, also known as "goat-scaping" comes in! Goats naturally love to browse invasive plants like Himalayan blackberry, helping clear the land in a low-impact, environmentally friendly way. This approach has been used successfully in agricultural settings and is becoming increasingly popular among land managers and environmental organizations as a tool for controlling invasive species and creating space for native plants to thrive.
In June 2026, the NSOBP welcomed a herd of goats from Langely-based GOAT Brush Clearing to aid in the removal of invasive plant species around the NSOBP site. Over the course of a month, the herd worked hard to tackle our Himalayan blackberry problem, clearing dense thickets and overgrown brush that would have otherwise taken time-consuming manual labour or disruptive machinery to remove. These previously inaccessible areas are now open to both the NSOBP team and native species.
Continued grazing will be important for clearing even more areas and removing any new growth that has popped up, which will help to eventually clear the plants for good! The NSOBP is now raising funds to support one more month of targeted livestock grazing.
You can donate directly to the NSOBP Goat Fund Me to support our targeted livestock grazing program by filling out the donation form below. Help us reach our goal of $2,500!
Thank you for your interest in our Goat Fund Me Fundraiser! Please consider supporting the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program by following us on social media or joining our mailing list.