New York park-cleaning goats honored with G.O.A.T. awards

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A New York conservancy presented G.O.A.T. awards at a ceremony Thursday to five actual goats that have been working to clear invasive plants from a park.

The Riverside Park Conservancy held its first ever G.O.A.T. (Great Of All Time) awards ceremony Thursday at Riverside Park in Manhattan to honor five members of the goat herd that has been grazing on invasive plants at the park as part of a sustainable horticulture program.

The conservancy said the five winning goats were chosen based on votes from thousands of locals who have been closely following the animals' story since they were brought to the park in the spring.

Top honors went to Massey, a female goat presented with a medal and bouquet of edible flowers.

The 24 goats have been grazing on invasive plants including Japanese knotweed, wineberry, poison ivy, mugwort and English ivy as part of the park's Woodland Restoration Initiative. Riverside Park includes more than 60 acres of forested area.