The goats are returning to Nose Hill Park. Roughly 600 of them will graze a section of the park from July 14 to 30, part of the City of Calgary's ongoing effort to manage vegetation and keep the park's grasslands healthy.

The city's Natural Areas Management team uses targeted grazing as one of several tools to care for natural areas, alongside other vegetation management methods. "Targeted grazing is one of the tools we use to support long-term ecosystem health," said Andrew Phelps of Natural Areas Management. The goats help cut back invasive plants and overgrown vegetation, which in turn gives native grasses more room and sunlight to grow. It also helps lower the amount of dry, woody growth that can fuel wildfires.

The practice is meant to echo a natural process that shaped prairie landscapes for generations, when large grazing animals like bison and elk kept vegetation in check. Managed goat grazing recreates that effect in a way that works within a modern city park.

Visitors to Nose Hill during this period can expect to see temporary fencing, a shepherd, and herding dogs on site, and some pathways or park sections may be temporarily closed for public and animal safety.

While the goats' impact on vegetation is visible almost immediately, the city says the bigger benefits — like improved soil health, stronger native plant communities, and increased biodiversity — build up gradually and are tracked over multiple years.