The Congressional Cemetery Goats

It was truly a night filled with animals on Capitol Hill...starting with this striped cat.

On our way to watch the Eco-Goats at the Congressional Cemetery (more on that in a moment) Kern made a new friend: Tiger the kitten.  He almost got a free ride in Kern's backpack, but we decided to let him continue to roam his regular stomping grounds.

So...onto the goats!  Some of the trees surrounding the cemetery have become overrun with brush, vines and invasive plants.  Because the Anacostia watershed is so close, pesticides are not a viable option.  The solution: ECO GOATS!  For about a week, 100 goats are let loose in the area surrounding these endangered trees.  They graze constantly, gobbling up the harmful plants and eliminating the problem--a completely chemical free solution!

We locked our bikes and began following signs to the goats!

We passed Henry Clay's tombstone on our walk!

The goats are contained in smaller areas until they have sufficiently eaten back the plant life, then they are herded on to the next patch.

Hungry little guys!

The herd is actually contained in the wooded area of the lot that surrounds the graves--so they not actually walking over and around tombstones.

All in all, by the time they depart, they will have eaten away at invasive plants on 1.6 acres of land!

Add this to the list of "something I never thought I would experience in DC!"