Maclellan Island is now home to a hungry herd of six grazing goats, which arrived by boat Saturday with a group of donors to the 18-acre nature preserve in the middle of the Tennessee River near downtown Chattanooga.
The goats will gorge themselves on the island's vegetation for the next year or longer as part of the Chattanooga Audubon Society's effort to reduce the overgrowth of invasive plant species.
After a controlled burn the society attempted earlier this year failed to decrease the overgrowth, the organization followed the many recommendations it received to bring in goats to eat away at pesky invasive plant species such as English ivy.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga Audubon Society is bringing goats to Maclellan Island)
The goats are contained with six, 100-foot-long electric fencing panels that will be moved around the island periodically as the goats reduce the overgrowth in each area. Water, shelter and food for both the goats and Beowulf, the Great Pyrenees herding dog that accompanies the goats, are provided within the fencing.
"It's going to involve moving the goats pretty regularly," said volunteer Jim Ledbetter, who used his experience with electrical work, invasive plant species management and owning goats to help the organization work out the logistics of keeping goats on a remote island.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Jim Ledbetter, front, and Owen Maclellan leads goats to the boat Saturday at Ross's Landing.Containing the goats is necessary to prevent them from clearing the vegetation along the river bank, which would cause erosion of the land, Ledbetter said.
Since the goats cannot get to the river and the island has no running water, Ledbetter designed a system to pump water from the river to a tub in the goat enclosure.
Cameras were installed to allow staff to monitor the goats and the riverbank to make sure the goats and Beowulf are safe and have plenty of food and water. Staff are notified by phone when movement is detected near the goat enclosure or on the riverbank.
(READ MORE: Why grazing goats are clearing Chattanooga trails)
The island is closed to the public while the goats are in residence, but later this summer, the Chattanooga Riverboat Company will start offering boat tours to the island. Circle N Stables, which sold the goats to the Audubon Society, is also taking small groups to visit the goats.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Goats load onto a boat Saturday at Ross's Landing.The Audubon Society is in need of volunteers to help check on the goats and donations to support the ongoing project, and soon will begin holding training sessions to teach volunteers how to care for the animals.
"It's a big job for us to get the goats out here and to take care of them once they're out here," Chattanooga Audubon Society Executive Director Jim Stewart said in an interview on the boat transporting the goats to the island.
The organization receives no government funding, and the goat project was made possible by donations. Giving a certain amount of money gave donors the opportunity to name one of the goats, ride on the boat with the goats to the island, take a boat tour to visit the goats or to spend a night on the island camping with the goats.
For more information about volunteering or boat tours to the island, email the Audubon Society at info@chattaudubon.org.
Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508.
Staff Photo by Andrew Wilkins / Two goats get busy Saturday as part of the Chattanooga Audubon Society's work to reduce invasive species on Maclellan Island.