From Hillsides to city parks: How Allegheny Goatscape transforms Pittsburgh with goats 

When Pittsburgh’s countless hills become too steep for landscapers, Allegheny Goatscape steps in with a creative solution — herds of goats. 

Allegheny Goatscape, a nonprofit organization that uses small herds of goats to clear up unwanted vegetation, works in Pittsburgh parks so the city can utilize the land for public projects. This summer, the goats were spotted in Schenley Park near Junction Hollow, a 10-minute walk from the center of campus. There are year-round volunteer opportunities for Pitt students. 

“It is very rewarding,” Gavin Deming, the executive director of Allegheny Goatscape, said. “The transformation you see, before and after, can be really stark. It is really exciting when that happens.” 

Deming said some of the “best work” they’ve done was clearing space by eating the unwanted vegetables at the white oak area of McKeesport. 

“There were very steep hills where the goats worked on the vines and overgrowth. The goats came through and cleared out the underbrush so they were able to plant fruit orchards and actually manage the place, which they haven’t been able to do for decades,” Deming said. “So it was really great when we know our work creates a long lasting impact.”

Established in early 2017 with just one herd, Allegheny Goatscape now operates four herds. Many of the goats are retired from dairies or were once owned as pets. During the summer months, the goats live on the site of whichever project they are currently working on and travel from site to site. In the winter, they return to the barn. 

Allegheny Goatscape’s website offers a live map that tracks the location of each of their goats as they move among projects during the year.

Emily Bell, board member and long-time volunteer for Allegheny Goatscape described the animals as “the cuddliest and sweetest things ever.” 

“My favorite memories are just sitting with them and brushing them,” Bell, who is also the human resources director for the Office of Business, Hospitality, and Auxiliary Services at Pitt, said. 

According to Deming, goats are the oldest domesticated animal on the planet and have long been used for grazing because of the amount of benefits they bring compared to machinery. 

“At the Pittsburgh hillsides, they do a good job clearing where it’s really hard for humans to do,” said Deming. “They tread relatively lighter than heavy machinery. They only tamp down the ground a little bit, but nothing like a big machine would do.” 

While goats do produce excrement like all other animals, Deming said their waste is actually beneficial to the environment. 

“When they go to the bathroom, what comes out can be used as fertilizers immediately. They are actually fortifying the soil instead of putting pollutants into it,” Deming said. 

To protect the goats from predators like coyotes, the goats have their “guardian angel” — the donkeys — whose natural instincts are to keep the goats safe, according to Bell. 

Even though Allegheny Goatscape has been established for years and has completed many projects throughout its time, Deming said it wasn’t easy to start from scratch with just one person. 

“For the longest time, it was just me and a herd,” said Deming. “We didn’t have a lot of volunteers, and thankfully, we have a wonderful volunteer coordinator to help with what we are doing.”

Now there is a group of volunteers to help out and volunteer projects available year-round, which include moving the goats to different sites and giving them water during the summer and making sure the goats have enough hay in the barn during the winter.  

Throughout years of volunteering and spending time with the farm animals, Erin Gaughan, a volunteer coordinator with Allegheny Goatscape, said the volunteers formed special connections with the goats and donkeys. 

“I love to really connect with the animals. It’s been such a joy to learn their individual personalities, like their favorite snacks,” said Gaughan. “And learning their vocalization — when one of the goats makes the bleating noise, I can tell who’s making it without looking.”

Outside of the goats’ regular job of grazing, some retired goats who might have a hard time climbing on steep hills have other roles in the community. 

“A lot of the time we bring the goats to community spaces. The goats are so cute, and people don’t often get to interact with them,” said Gaughan. “I hosted Bleat and Greet, when we invited members of the community to come into the space with the goats when normally we don’t allow it. People can just come in and meet the goats to pet them, get to know them and ask all their goat questions.”

From one herd and one person to four herds and tons of volunteers, Allegheny Goatscape has expanded its size and benefits to the community. And now the group has more planned for 2025. 

“We now have funding that will allow us to do even more and better,” said Deming. “I am really excited to be working in spaces like Hayes Woods, Pittsburgh’s latest and newest park, to help establish new spaces there.”