Who would have thought that our highest-viewed social media video last year would be of goats storming campus…? Not new Spiders on Move-In Day, but … goats. We didn’t, that’s for sure. But they were so popular — and cute — that we had to bring a second herd back on the heels on Earth Day as part of an environmentally-friendly landscape management practice. 

They are working hard to clear away unwanted vegetation and invasive plant species like kudzu, poison ivy, and English ivy. 

“Invasive species reduce biodiversity, negatively impact ecological land function, and are less hospitable to native fauna,” says Rob Andrejewski, director of sustainability. “Goat browsing has proven to be an extremely effective and popular way of meeting these challenges head on.” 

While they’re on campus, you can live stream their progress this spring via the Goat Cam hosted at sustainability.richmond.edu. Happy viewing, Spiders!