Prescribed grazing is the process of using livestock to address management concerns in habitats well adapted to grazing, such as meadows and prairies. Prescribed grazing can address issues such as invasive, non-native, or non-compatible plant species, woody vegetation encroachment, and soil improvement.
Urban managed meadows, such as the meadow at Don Valley Brick Works Park (DVBW), contribute to the important habitat diversity and urban ecology of the City of Toronto. To maintain the presence and quality of urban meadows over the long-term, the on-going management of invasive and woody plant spread must be addressed, or we risk the loss this important habitat type.
Prescribed grazing represents an opportunity to introduce a new integrative management tool for the City of Toronto to maintain the meadow habitat at DVBW. The Prescribed Grazer Pilot Project will utilize a herd of goats to graze a portion of the meadow over 2 days in June 2024., The City of Toronto has also partnered with Toronto Field Naturalists (TFN) on a monitoring protocol in order to monitor outcomes and explore measurable benefits over time.
2024 Prescribed Grazing Pilot at Don Valley Brick Works Park
City of Toronto, Urban Forestry, will be implementing the Prescribed Grazing Pilot Project at Don Valley Brick Works Park (DVBW) June 25-26th 2024. Public hours to view the goats at work are from 10:00am – 8:00pm.
A specialized ‘eco-herd’ of goats will be brought to the meadow at DVBW for an intensive two-day session of grazing, covering approximately 3000 m2 of meadow, with a goal to help manage, protect, and enhance the meadow habitat.
The Pilot will engage the services of Goats in The City, a business specializing in the use of goats solely for prescribed grazing within urban and sub-urban areas. Goats in the City do not use their goats for any other purposes than natural grazing and will never utilize the animals for meat or other by-products.
The pilot will utilize proven safety strategies for both the public and animals, including double fencing, 24 hour in-person care and supervision, GPS herd tracking, and on-call veterinarians. The goat herd will remain in a secure enclosure, providing protection from predators and the public, with free access to water, sun, and rain shelter.
For additional information, please visit Prescribed Grazing.
