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City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release  
 
June 10, 2025 

An eco-herd of goats are grazing for two days at City of Toronto’s Don Valley Brick Works Park

Today, City of Toronto staff welcomed approximately 50 goats as part of an eco-herd who will enthusiastically munch away at invasive species and woody vegetation impacting the meadow at Don Valley Brick Works Park.

In 2024, the City became the first municipality in Ontario to introduce a comprehensive goat grazing program for ecosystem management. Following the 2024 program, the City is bringing the goats back to Don Valley Brick Works Park to graze a new section of meadow as part of the Prescribed Goat Grazing Project.

Today and tomorrow, this eco-herd will help maintain the health of the meadow habitat with prescribed grazing. This practice uses livestock such as goats to address issues including invasive, non-native or non-compatible plant species and woody vegetation encroachment. It also helps improve soil health and encourages native species regeneration to help protect, manage and maintain Toronto’s important urban meadows.

The safety and welfare of the goats, the public and staff is of the utmost importance in the project. The goats are provided a secure enclosure where they can graze together in a herd which is a natural behaviour. The goats are never used for purposes other than grazing and are always provided direct access to water and shelter, with 24-hour supervision and on-call veterinary care while at work in the park.

The City will continue its partnership with the Toronto Field Naturalists on a volunteer monitoring protocol which will assess conditions before and after grazing. More information about the goat grazing pilot is available on the City’s webpage: toronto.ca/Grazing.

Quotes:

“I am happy to see the goats help the City of Toronto sink its teeth into an innovative way to enhance parkland management with a second year of the Parkland Grazing Project. Initiatives like these, highlight how we can creatively maintain Toronto’s important urban meadows.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow

“This project is one of the many ways that the City of Toronto manages its ecosystems. Projects like this are important. They help maintain a diverse urban forest, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build resilience to climate change.”
– Councillor Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale)

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation, and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents, and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.   

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca   

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