Goats 1, Buckthorn 0

IOLA – A herd of nearly 50 goats has returned to the Village of Iola to tackle invasive buckthorn along the Iola Lions River Walk.

The herd, provided by Auburndale-based Sustainable Stewards Farmstead & Goat Grazing, is being used to eradicate buckthorn, an invasive shrub from Europe that outcompetes native vegetation and can prevent the regeneration of native trees such as oaks and maples.

Village President Jennifer Schustek confirmed that the natural restoration project remains on track within its original $10,000 budget, which is funded entirely through community donations, not taxpayer dollars.

“Overall, I consider the project a success,” Schustek said. “The goats have been extremely well received by the community and have proven to be an effective, environmentally responsible tool for managing invasive buckthorn along the River Walk.”

Because the area is located near a creek, options for removing the buckthorn with herbicides are limited due to the risk of water contamination.

“Goat grazing is one of the methods recommended by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for managing invasive buckthorn in environmentally sensitive areas, and it allows us to control the vegetation while helping protect the surrounding ecosystem,” Schustek said.

She also added that the village has received no complaints regarding noise, odor or fencing, and the area is not directly adjacent to residential or commercial properties.

The working herd includes about 48 goats ranging in age from young kids to 12-year-old seniors. Owner Stacy Zivicki primarily uses Kiko and Kiko-cross goats for vegetation management.

“They’re doing exactly what they’ve evolved to do, so they love it,” Zivicki said.

She said the goats’ digestive systems destroy the buckthorn seeds, reducing the likelihood that seeds are left in their excrement to reseed the area.

The goats are enclosed in a solar-powered electric fence that is regularly moved as they clear sections of the brush. Depending on the density of the vegetation, Zivicki noted the herd can clear about one acre every 24 hours.

This year’s grazing area was expanded down to the creek, presenting what Zivicki called the “worst buckthorn project” she has ever encountered due to its extreme thickness.

The village’s eradication plan relies on a multi-season process that includes grazing in the spring and fall over multiple years to exhaust the root systems of the buckthorn. The buckthorn is so dense in certain areas along the trail that human intervention is still required.

Schustek said the village has “recognized the need to increase our efforts in clearing additional vegetation to give the goats better access so they can continue making progress throughout the site.”

To effectively stop the seed cycle, Zivicki said the buckthorn must be manually cut chest-high so the goats can easily eat the tops without triggering the plant to defensively sprout multiple new shoots. To help manage the larger, established buckthorn that the goats cannot clear, she said she plans to invest in a tractor-mounted tree puller to remove the remaining buckthorn by the roots. The goats will then be used in subsequent years to manage any newly sprouted saplings that emerge from dormant seeds in the soil.

Beyond the ecological benefits, the goats have become a major draw for the community. Several cars drove past and stopped to watch them graze last Thursday.

“I’ve already been told it’s brought in a ton of revenue to the town’s ice cream places, the cafes, the restaurants,” Zivicki said. “Families come to see the goats and then they all stop to eat and they get gas.”

Schustek said that the village intends to continue the goat grazing program moving forward.