Photo: County of Hawai‘i Dept. of Parks & Recreation.

The County Department of Parks and Recreation will introduce a herd of goats to clear a large brush area near the Hilo soccer fields beginning Tuesday, July 16.

“Since goats are essentially natural weed whackers, putting them to work in our parks is hearty for the goats and good for the environment,” said Roxcie Waltjen, director of Parks and Recreation.

The herd will be enclosed in a fenced area throughout the duration of the pilot project. The public is asked not to approach the area where the goats will be grazing.

“If this pilot project is successful, we will look to utilize this form of weed control at other park facilities throughout the island,” Waltjen said.