Goats in Poughkeepsie take on poison ivy - and win
The NYSBA has been using goats periodically under the walkway since 2015. An NYSBA spokesperson said many state maintenance workers were breaking out in rashes from the poison ivy. That is when the agency turned to the goats.
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6h agoIf you are planning a weekend trip to the scenic Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, you might find yourself more interested what's beneath the famous pedestrian bridge.
Forty goats have been roaming the grassy area beneath the walkway all spring, eating weeds that many humans cannot even touch.
There is a bonus for preschool teacher Pauline Taylor and her students.
The New York State Bridge Authority hired the goats to eat invasive weeds, which flourish from May to September.
Taylor said the goats are also teaching aids.
"We read them a story. It's called 'The Three Billy Goats' Gruff,'" she said. "It's about a troll that lives under a bridge, just like our Poughkeepsie Walkway, so we incorporate that into our walk."
During News 12's visit Thursday to the lots on both sides of Delafield Street, drivers consistently pulled over to take photos of the goats.
As cute as they are, and as much as passersby might want to pet them, the NYSBA is warning people not to come too close to the goats because they are likely carrying oils from poison ivy they seem to love.
The NYSBA has been using goats periodically under the walkway since 2015.
An NYSBA spokesperson said many state maintenance workers were breaking out in rashes from the poison ivy.
That is when the agency turned to the goats.
The goats are not affected by the various weeds they graze on, they can easily reach weeds on steep terrain and they are quiet neighbors.
Ann Cihanek, owner of Green Goats in Rhinebeck, rented out 40 of her 120 goats for the walkway project.
The other goats have been working at colleges and parks around the mid-Hudson region.
Cihanek said about a quarter of her "workforce" was donated.
She said many people who bought tiny baby goats during the COVID-19 pandemic for the cute factor could not take care of the goats once they grew to weigh over 100 pounds.
Cihanek welcomed them.
"It's a second act of life," she said Thursday over the phone. "Our goats eat for a living. That's the only thing they are asked to do."
The first phase of the walkway job will end on Tuesday.
Then the goats will return in September, the NYSBA said, for a follow-up trim, just in time for another class of preschoolers.
A Bridge Authority spokesperson says the contract for the goats was under $15,000, which makes it cost effective, since the goats indirectly prevent injuries to workers and free up the workers for other projects.
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