Another herd. Another service project.

Click on the picture above to see a few more pictures of this year's chew crew going to town in a fenced-in, overgrown detention pond in one of Athens' first affordable housing complexes, 4th Street Village.

Besides a little tighter squeeze in the makeshift transporter and an unpleasant introduction to fire ants, our four goats peformed wonderfully. While Caroline, Clarence, Thomas, and I felled mimosa trees and gathered trash, the reunited goats spent the afternoon grazing on a smorgasborg of wisteria, dog fennel, and privet. Although a mere 6 hours barely put a dent in the space's overall appearance, the outing definitely serves as proof that goats should be considered as an economical, quiet, and entertaining management solution.

"Maude? That's my robe."

Picture borrowed from ultimategoatfansite.com

It's a common misconception that goats will eat just about anything: hair, tin cans, rope, or this unlucky lady's top. The truth is, I was surprised to learn, that goats are relatively picky eaters. Several species in the backyard, for whatever reason, have escaped the terrible fate of goat grazing. Listed below is a running list of the less palatable plants.

• Redbud
• Azaleas
• Hollies
• Ferns
• Jewelweed
• Aucuba
• Cherry laurel

From an ecological restoration approach, it's interesting to note that several of the plants our goats walk by on their way to privet are native. Perhaps even more noteworthy is that a few of these species have appeared naturally after last year's herd cleared the dense mat of monkeygrass and ivy.