Can Hungry Goats Restore Urban Forests?

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK—Around 11:30 a.m., the goats are dozing. Nearby, the midday sun is dappled through leafy canopies. But where the goats are—on a slope in the northeast segment of Prospect Park—there aren't as many trees to throw the light.

Over the last few years, this area of the park, known as the Vale of Cashmere, was battered by a spate of storms. When Hurricane Sandy tore through the New York area in the fall of 2012, the wind and rain pummeled grasses and shrubs. The storm splintered branches from tree trunks and yanked plants up by their roots; 50 mature trees were destroyed in this area alone. The park is still trying to recover. A nearby play area was constructed from the trunks and branches of the felled trees; they comprise the sides of a sandbox and a literal treehouse. But the trees' absence has been acutely felt—not least in the form of invasive species that have since proliferated. Park officials are hoping that goats—and, especially, their seemingly bottomless, multi-chambered stomachs—might offer a solution.