Goats on duty all week at City Light substation

Photos by Theo Henderson, a junior at Roosevelt High School

Say farewell to the blackberry bushes that have taken over parts of Seattle City Light’s North Substation, located in Maple Leaf at 814 N.E. 75th St.

All week long, up to 280 goats have been “hired” from Healing Hooves to eat the blackberry bushes as well as their now plump blackberries and the ivy that have grown on the steep, rocky hillside since the herd’s last trip.

“Goats have been a creative, affordable solution for removing this vegetation,” said Betsey Searing, landscape supervisor for City Light. “It’s environmentally friendly. No chemicals and no dump fees.”

The goat herder, Craig Madsen, says neighbors stop by to watch the goats graze and talk to him about the goats, so expect a few visitors through Friday.

City Light adds that there’s no reason to fear the goats: They’re kept in a fenced enclosure that prevents them from escaping to either the street or to where the substation’s electrical equipment is located.