We'll be honest, Maclellan Island is an overgrown mess. It's hard to manage invasive species like English Ivy, but it's even harder when those plants are on an island and your organization doesn't own a boat. For years we've relied on kind souls (shoutout to Randy Whorton from Wild Trails!) and volunteers to help us pull up the pesky plants, but with an island that is 20+ acres, it just isn't sustainable and it doesn't work long-term.

We tried to do a prescribed burn on Maclellan Island and it didn't take off like we had hoped. You can read more about that here--https://newschannel9.com/news/local/burning-questions-why-did-the-controlled-burn-on-maclellan-island-fizzle-out-invasive-species-ecological-nature-preserve-chattanooga#

Here's the new plan. We're going to use the natural grazing tendencies of goats to clear out the English Ivy, the Mungo Grass, the Poison Ivy, and all the other pesky plants. Will they end up eating some native plants? Probably. But those native species don't stand a chance if we don't remove the things choking them out. It's not a permanent solution, but it will allow us to more easily manage the land in the future. This is just the first step in an extensive land management plan for Maclellan Island.

Why goats? There are several reasons why goats make the most sense for the land management and conservation of Maclellan.

• Goats are known to be effective grazers and can help control invasive plant species.
• Using goats for land management can reduce the need for chemical herbicides, which have negative impacts on the environment.
• Goats can naturally clear brush and vegetation without causing soil erosion or disturbance to the landscape.
• By managing vegetation, goats can create a more diverse habitat for other wildlife species. This can contribute to the overall health and resilience of the island's ecosystem by supporting a greater variety of plant and animal life.
• Introducing goats to Maclellan Island can also provide educational opportunities for the local community and visitors. It can be a way to engage people in learning about sustainable land management practices and the importance of biodiversity conservation.
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Here's what we need from you: your gracious donations and for you to share this exciting news far and wide! We've created several tiers of donations that all benefit the restoration of Maclellan Island and they come with some super cool rewards for you!

The dates for goats being on the island is TBD but our goal is to have them out on Maclellan before fall of 2024. If you have any questions or you want to chat about the goats, you can email us at [email protected]