Published in the Kitsap Sun, May 14, 2021
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – The herd of goats sits contentedly in the sun, appetites temporarily whetted, workers taking some time off the job. Vehicles motor by on Highway 305, and the temporary residents of the nearby greenbelt tangled by blackberry vines, ivy and other greenery, bleat and shuffle around, jockeying for just the right spot. A protective dog barks from inside the fence at visitors as they stop to peer in at the unusual workforce.
The Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation brought in the goats to munch away at the northeast corner of Highway 305 and High School Road through the Vashon Island-based business Rent-a-Ruminant, which sets herds of goats on properties as an “eco-friendly, green and sustainable approach to vegetation management.”
For six days, they’re working at the site to clear the way for the newest section of the Sound to Olympics Trail. The new segment has been named the “Sakai Pond Connector Trail,” and as its name would suggest, will extend the regional trail into Sakai Park, past a quiet pond on the site.