Pukaite Woods at Rotary Park has been trimmed by an unlikely landscaping crew since 2020: a herd of goats! Now the Mequon-Thiensville (M-T) Sunrise Rotary Club is seeking public help to bring the goats back to continue the woodland restoration.
The future of Pukaite Woods is dependent on the reproduction of all the native trees that make it such a unique and enjoyable place for children and adults who walk the trails. Removing invasive species like buckthorn has been an uphill battle over the years.
The goats are kept in 1-acre to 2-acre paddocks enclosed with electrical mesh fencing to keep the goats in and to keep predators and people out. Once the goats eat all the leaves off the buckthorn and thistle plant in that area, they move on to the next paddock.
The leafless buckthorn plants will use the energy in their root system to grow back. Once the leaves grow back, the goats are brought back to graze again. Throughout the two grazing sessions, the energy in the buckthorn's root system is slowly depleted, starving the roots before they go into winter dormancy.
There are costs to rent the goats, fencing and transportation annually. The Rotary and OWLT have donated over $40,000 to the goat project since 2020. Please help the M-T Sunrise Rotary bring the goats back and keep the woodland restoration going for the benefit of current and future generations to come.
Questions? Please contact Matt Wolf at: mwolf@mtsd.k12.wi.us.
Donate today: https://gofund.me/9dd74a07