A herd of goats has returned to the parkland around Bristol Parkway station as part of the ongoing conservation of the site by the South Gloucestershire Council. The land is being managed to encourage the presence of the rare small blue butterfly found in the area, which breeds in the grassland and feeds on the Kidney Vetch plant.
The goats are able to graze during the day and then spend the night in separate sleeping quarters which have been put up on the land. During their stay, which is expected to be until March, the grassland is monitored, and the goats will be removed when the wildflowers start coming through.
Seven goats in total were bought to the site last week to allow the grass and the butterflies to thrive. The herd is owned by StreetGoat, a Community Led Urban Farming project based in Bristol which works closely with local councils for land maintenance- projects.
