Media story

You herd it here first: Grazing goats help restore Mississauga’s wetland

Goat grazing is a low-impact strategy that will help remove invasive plants while opening space for native plants to grow.

City services | July 19, 2024

The City is using prescribed goat grazing, a new and unique approach to managing invasive plant species, to help restore habitats surrounding one of Mississauga’s wetlands. On May 25, the City became the first municipality in the Greater Toronto Area to trial prescribed grazing using goats during the Invasive Species Awareness Fair. Prescribed grazing is a method that uses livestock to manage various concerns in habitats that are suited to grazing.

The 60 goats have returned to Mississauga to graze on invasive plant species, including non-native thistles and Common Reed (Phragmites australis).

Less than one per cent of Mississauga is made up of wetland habitat, so it’s a priority for the City to protect remaining wetlands. Managing invasive plant species will help restore the wetland at O’Connor Park, creating a better habitat for local wildlife, increasing biodiversity, and improving overall wetland function.

Using goats to manage unwanted vegetation and invasive species has many benefits including reducing fuel emissions from trimming equipment, reducing herbicide use and managing areas that are not easily accessible, like slopes.

The City will continue to trial goat grazing in different habitat types and with different invasive species to gain a better understanding of how goat grazing can be integrated into the City’s suite of integrated management tools.

Invasive species in Mississauga

Invasive species are plants, animals or micro-organisms that are not native to Mississauga and, in large numbers, can cause an imbalance to the City’s natural ecosystems and biodiversity. They can negatively alter Mississauga’s parks, woodlands, natural areas and wildlife habitats. Invasive plants can take over the space, change the soil composition and compete for nutrients, making it harder for native plants to grow. Invasive insects can cause direct harm to trees and other native plants by transmitting diseases or eating the leaves or stems.

Learn more about invasive species.