Goatscaping: a green solution to managing poison ivy, invasive plants, tough inclines, stone walls, ledge, and overgrown areas.
Waring has a history with goats. When the move to Beverly happened in 1976, there were animals on campus, and this lasted, relatively uninterrupted, until a few years before the construction of the Forum began in 2000. Students helped in the care-taking of the animals (goats, cows and chickens over the years), were able to study them, draw them, or just sit with them. When I was a student in the late 90s, there was a goat shed where we currently have All-School Meeting. Sassafras and Juliet lived quite happily on the hillside in their shed, right in the middle of daily campus life.* *I do not actually know which goats these are in the picture. There were many goats over the years, including but not limited to Sassafras, Juliet, Violetta, Mesquite, Kate, Blanquette, Alfredo and Renaude.
This fall, for the first time since Sassafras and Juliet (et al) went their own way, goats returned to campus. To clear a number of invasive species on the hill behind the house, Dianne and Pavel invited four goats to live here for two weeks - and they ate their way through the plants - on the ground and above their heads - with speed and dedication.
The goats probably didn't fully grasp the historical significance of their presence (not enough time spent in the Waring classroom, most likely), but the rest of us enjoyed the fitting start to our 40th year on campus, even if the visit was a short one. Enjoy the photo gallery below from the Beverly Citizen on the goats' return to Waring! Beverly Citizen Goat Photos
