The goats are gone, but the joy they brought to Mountain Lakes over the past two weeks—and the memories they created—will remain for a long time.

The Goat Grazing Pilot Program was initiated by the Borough’s Woodlands Advisory Committee to explore an environmentally friendly way to address the significant overgrowth in some of the Borough’s 100+ “pocket parks”—small, wooded Borough-owned properties located throughout our community.

These pocket parks are an important part of what makes Mountain Lakes special. They help preserve the natural, wooded character of our community, provide privacy and separation between homes, and contribute to the beauty and open feel of our neighborhoods. Over time, however, many have become increasingly difficult to maintain due to invasive vegetation, dense brush, fallen branches, and other debris.

At the recommendation of the Woodlands Advisory Committee, the Borough launched this pilot program to see whether goat grazing could be part of the solution. The Borough hired Crescent Nur Ranch, which brought trained goat herds to clear invasive vegetation and dense overgrowth naturally—without chemicals or heavy equipment.

And the goats got to work!

As the before-and-after photos show, they made great progress clearing three pocket parks. Just as importantly, they brought a tremendous amount of fun and excitement to our community. Residents of all ages stopped by to visit, take photos, and watch our newest—and perhaps most popular—Borough workers on the job.

A project like this truly takes a community. Many thanks to the members of the Woodlands Advisory Committee who proposed the pilot and helped supervise and care for the goats during their stay; our Department of Public Works for helping provide access to the pocket parks; the neighbors who generously shared their property lines and water with our four-legged visitors; and all of the residents who welcomed the goats with such enthusiasm and joy.

While the goats have finished their part, the work continues. The Woodlands Advisory Committee and other volunteers will now help clean up the cleared areas and remove remaining debris.

Because this was a pilot program, the Borough will evaluate the results and determine whether goat grazing should become an annual initiative, allowing us to address additional pocket parks each year.

For now, we say goodbye—and thank you—to the goats. They accomplished a lot in two weeks, brought neighbors together, and reminded us that sometimes an innovative solution to a community challenge can also be a whole lot of fun.