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City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release  
 June 24, 2024 

City of Toronto tests goat grazing as a new sustainable land management tool

The City of Toronto will be sinking its teeth into a new, innovative way to enhance parkland management. The City is exploring the use of prescribed goat grazing to help maintain the urban meadow at Don Valley Brick Works Park. Urban meadows are important ecosystems that help increase habitat diversity in the city.

Prescribed grazing is the practice of using livestock to address issues such as invasive, non-native or non-compatible plant species, woody vegetation encroachment and help with soil improvement.

Approximately 40 goats will graze for an intensive two-and-a-half days aimed at protecting and maintaining the meadow habitat at Don Valley Brick Works Park.

The safety and welfare of the goats, the public and staff is of the utmost importance in the Prescribed Grazing Pilot Project. The goats are provided a secure enclosure, where they can graze in a herd, which is a natural behaviour. The goats are never used for purposes other than grazing and are always provided direct access to water and shelter, with 24-hour supervision and on-call veterinary care while in the park.

To explore outcomes and measurable benefits over time, the City has partnered with the Toronto Field Naturalists (TFN) to develop a monitoring protocol which will assess conditions before and after grazing.

If the pilot is deemed successful, the City will consider bringing the goats back to Don Valley Brick Works Park in future years for rotational grazing.

More information about the goat grazing pilot is available on the City’s webpage: toronto.ca/Grazing

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation, and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents, and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.   

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca   

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