The Sea Girt goat logo, courtesy of the Borough of Sea Girt.
Diane Anthony, a long-time Sea Girt resident, is passionate about her seaside community. “I’m blessed to live and work in Sea Girt. This small town is made up of dedicated municipal employees and volunteers, who genuinely care about our parks, open spaces, and environment.” Like many areas in Monmouth County, this coastal area has struggled with invasive plants. Species like Japanese Knotweed, English Ivy, Japanese Honeysuckle, mugwort, smilax, and tree of Heaven have crept across the borough, thriving at the expense of native plants. While many invasive plants may appear beautiful, they often grow quickly, escape the landscaped yards they are planted in, and outcompete native species for resources. This disrupts the local ecology by eliminating the habitats and food sources wildlife relies on. When native plant and animal species are negatively impacted, erosion danger can increase, watersheds can collapse, and communities become more susceptible to natural disasters like flooding or wildfire. “The vegetation of non-native plants and other species is not unique to our area. It’s happening in many municipalities, state, and even national parks,” Diane reflects. “And I think Sea Girt has a community responsibility to protect our environment for future generations.”
That sense of responsibility is shared by Monmouth Conservation Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting landscapes within Monmouth County and supporting community environmental initiatives. “Sometimes people think preserving land means you just leave it alone,” Jena Cosimo, MCF’s Acquisitions Director, shares. “But really there’s ongoing work to do. Tackling invasive plants and rebuilding native habitat is an example of the ongoing work conservation requires. By managing our natural communities in this way, we help keep our residential communities safe as well.”
An example of the dense plant life in Sea Girt, including many invasive species. Photo courtesy of the Borough of Sea Girt.
Goats prefer to browse on many plants, especially those with woody stems. Photo courtesy of the Borough of Sea Girt.
Edgemere Park in Sea Girt. Photo by Jena Cosimo.
When Diane was first elected as a Sea Girt councilwoman in 2018, she made invasive plant management a top priority. “Our goal was to find a safe and eco-friendly opportunity to control and remove these non-native species.” Her vision soon inspired the formation of a community focus group. At the recommendation of fellow councilmember Alan Zakin, the group explored creating a 501(c)(3) organization instead of pursuing an open space tax. This idea led to the establishment of the Sea Girt Conservancy, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to protecting the borough’s natural environment. Last year, Monmouth Conservation Foundation partnered with the Conservancy to fund a pollinator garden in Edgemere Park.
For years, the Sea Girt Conservancy and a dedicated group of volunteers spent countless hours attempting to control invasive plants, but the steep slopes and dense growth along the Wreck Pond watershed made the battle nearly impossible to win by hand. “We all agreed that something needed to be done,” Diane shares. “Doing nothing would essentially make it worse, but we couldn’t keep up on our own.”
Then came an unusual idea. A resident shared an article about using goats to manage invasive species. “I don’t know if it was originally in jest or she really thought we could do this in Sea Girt, but I did some research about it, and it was interesting.”
Goats are natural allies in conservation. Targeted grazing has been utilized worldwide as an alternative to heavy mechanical equipment, manual plant removal, and herbicides. It is a cost effective, safe, and environmentally friendly strategy for invasive species management. Goats are natural browsers and prefer to eat a variety of woody-stemmed plants, allowing light and air to get to native plants and grasses, which levels the competitive playing field. Continual re browsing of invasive plants weakens them enough for native plants to have a chance. “Using goats was outside the box for Sea Girt,” Diane explains, “but the concept isn’t new. It’s been successful elsewhere, so we thought, why not give it a try?”
After a unanimous Sea Girt Council resolution in favor, this summer, the Sea Girt Borough contracted ten goats from Green Goats Rhinebeck to tackle the town’s steep terrain. The pilot program was funded jointly by the Sea Gir Borough and Conservancy.
The goats made a grand entrance, celebrated by residents of all ages. “We had a welcoming party for the goats,” Diane recalls. “The children loved it, and it was a fun approach to engage residents.”
Participants in the goat-welcoming party. Photo courtesy of the Borough of Sea Girt.
The goats were such efficient workers that midway through the pilot, their numbers were reduced to four to ensure there was enough vegetation to re-browse over the full eight weeks. By the end of the program, the results were clear; the goats had practically eliminated the invasive plants, all while delighting the community and sparking important conversations about conservation.
Now that the pilot has concluded, the slopes will be restored with a mixture of annual and perennial native plant species, which will help prevent erosion, improve stormwater management, and provide healthier wildlife habitat. This learning experience, along with positive feedback from the Sea Girt community, has encouraged the Borough's plans to continue the use of goat grazing as part of an integrated invasive vegetation management plan in the future, which also includes targeted treatments and working with a local elementary school to plant pollinator friendly milkweed.
Diane is proud of her community’s willingness to think outside the box. “Sea Girt's temporary guests were genuinely welcomed by our community and have been missed since they’ve returned to Rhinebeck. As stewards of our treasured public spaces, it’s important to share the positive and rewarding outcomes of projects such as this.”
The Sea Girt community enjoyed the friendly goats. Photo courtesy of the Borough of Sea Girt.
The famous Sea Girt Goats. Photo courtesy of the Borough of Sea Girt.