Join the Friends of the Wissahickon in Bidding Farewell to the Wissahickon Goats

You've
seen them eating invasive plants in Wissahickon Valley Park for three years,
but now it is time to say goodbye. Rodin, Wyeth, Kandinsky, Caravaggio,
Goodwin, and the late Andy Warhol (the goats are named after artists), have been
part of a informal study of invasive removal options led by the Friends of the
Wissahickon (FOW) since 2010. Their owner, Yvonne Post, announced recently that
she and her daughter, Deirdre
Sheehy, are taking the goat herd on the road to promote goats for
sustainable weed control. Join FOW in
wishing them good luck on their cross-country journey that begins from the
intersection of Bell's Mill Road and Forbidden Drive at 11 a.m. on Sunday,
August 11, 2013.

Tentatively titled "The
Bellwethers: Trending Toward Sustainability," the journey will take the
goats through Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Montana before
ending at their new home on a farm in Molalla, Oregon. Post and her daughter
hope to promote goats for sustainable weed control in ex-urban environments and
select transition towns by drawing attention when they stop and forage in rest
stops, parks, and open country on their way across the country.

"The goats have made so
many friends over the past three years," says Post. "I believe we
have planted the seeds for progress toward a more sustainable approach to an
oppressive problem in our natural spaces. Some of our consultation and visited
sites now have their own goats, complete little sustainable systems themselves,
eating weeds and processing them into spreadable fertilizer."

Fans of the goats can follow
their progress on a blog that will be maintained by Post and her daughter, who
will be posting videos and more as they make their way west. FOW will publicize
the link once it is established. For more information of FOW's work with the
goat herd, visit http://www.fow.org/news-events/meet-herd-goats-wissahickon.

About Friends of the
Wissahickon 

The Friends of the Wissahickon,
founded in 1924, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the
Wissahickon Valley. FOW works in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and
Recreation to restore historical structures throughout the park, eliminate
invasive plant species, monitor watershed management issues, and restore trails
throughout the Wissahickon Valley Park with its Sustainable Trails Initiative.
Follow FOW on Facebook and Twitter. For more information or to become a member,
visit www.fow.org.