Come meet the goats that are helping manage invasive glossy buckthorn at the Swedetown Trails in Calumet, Michigan.

This summer, a herd of about 30 goats will be arriving at Swedetown Trails for about 10 days to help manage glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), a dominant woody invasive species in the area. This fun project is thanks to a grant awarded to Dr. Sigrid Resh, Coordinator of the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA) from the United States Department of Agriculture – Forest Service. The goats are owned by Jake and Brigid Williams of Regenerative Ruminants, an ecological restoration service from Poplar, Wisconsin: https://www.facebook.com/regenerativeruminants/about.

The goats will help to restore parts of Swedetown Recreation Area that have become dominated by glossy buckthorn, an non native shrub. Clearing out these harmful plants will allow the forest to regenerate. Across the country and the world for that matter, non native species are disrupting ecosystems and the funding provided by government entities is a recognition of the seriousness of the problem. At the Swedetown trails specifically, glossy buckthorn has greatly impacted the maintenance of the trails as well as the forest ecology. Since 2017 with the help of KISMA, Swedetown Trails Club and volunteers from the community have been committed to trying to manage a glossy buckthorn invasion that permeates, to varying degrees, much of this land owned by Calumet Township.

How did the glossy buckthorn arrive here? Glossy buckthorn is a Eurasian shrub with showy berries and shiny leaves that has been sold for landscaping. Surrounded by concrete or other contained areas it can seem to be an attractive choice, but when birds eat the berries it can be carried to areas where it takes over the landscape forming thickets that choke out native trees, shrubs and plants and forms a dense understory that is impenetrable to wildlife and people. Businesses and homeowners should check to see if they might have this noxious plant on their property.

Swedetown does have a history of being grazed. According to retired history teacher Gene LaRochelle, there was an old gate on “Two Hoots” bike trail and if you pastured your cows you left your mining company tab on the gate. But the goal of the current project is to work towards returning the land to its original state of forest land.

Dr. Sigrid Resh, KISMA’s Coordinator, will oversee the project and collect data to determine the effectiveness of the goats in reducing glossy buckthorn populations. This multiple-year project will serve as a trial for potential use of goat management in other areas within Houghton, Keweenaw and Baraga counties. KISMA provides education and outreach to property owners and managers to help identify and treat priority invasive species with the tri-country area.

Bring your families and friends to “Greet the goats” on July 10th from 5-7 pm and July 15th from 10-12 am and 2-4 pm when Jake of Regenerative Ruminants as well as the KISMA crew will be available to answer questions about what the goats are doing and provide information about how to identify and control buckthorn!