From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
May 5, 2012
Though I first met the Nigerian Dwarf Goats that live at Norman J Levy Park & Preserve about 3 years ago, this week was the first time I saw them as they walked through the grounds with a park ranger.
May 1, 2012 – Merrick, New York, USA – Nigerian Dwarf Goats walk with PARK RANGER SUE during sunny spring day at Levy Park and Preserve, marshland on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Due to unusually warm weather, this was the first day of the year the park stayed open until 19:30 (7:30 PM), which usually doesn’t happen until later in season. (© 2012 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Entering the parking lot, I saw a sign announcing the goats were out walking, so I asked someone at the Park Station exactly where they were. He called Park Ranger Susan, who had them up by the hilltop ponds and was about to take them back on the trail near the golf course.
Merrick, NY, USA. May 1, 2012. Nigerian Dwarf Goats graze during walk at Norman J Levy Park & Preserve. (© 2012 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
This delightful, working goat herd eats weeds as it walks through the park – each day, early morning and early afternoon – using a variety of routes. It’s one of many ways the park maintains itself in a green, ecologically friendly way for Long Island’s marshland environment.
- UPDATE: The book Extraordinary Goats by Janet Hurst, 2014, includes one of my photos of Nigerian Dwarf Goats walking with Park Ranger Susan at Levy Park.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats & Birds, Levy Park & Preserve: PHOTO GALLERY