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The GOAT: A stout-bodied mammal with horns and cloven hooves with a reputation for being destructive.

The GOAT: In the world of sports and music, the term GOAT means the “Greatest of all Time.”

Somewhere in the middle of those contradictory descriptors are the goats at the heart of a research project with Mercyhurst University and the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. The project focuses on the environmental impact of goats that have been used intermittently for the past three years to clear invasive weeds in the woods of the Sisters’ lakefront campground, the Glinodo Center.

Molly Tarvin, project supervisor and sustainability coordinator at Mercyhurst, said research has suggested that the browsing, hooves, and feces of ruminant animals like goats can bolster soil microbiomes, fungi mycelium, carbon content, and nutrient levels. Tarvin referenced last year’s Earth Day talk at Mercyhurst by climate scientist Rachael Shenyo, who spoke of her studies on soil health in the presence of ruminant animals.

“It was a very popular talk and inspired the Department of Environmental Science at Mercyhurst to take advantage of the ruminant animals so close to campus,” Tarvin said.

At the time, the Benedictine Sisters received grants, including from the Catholic Climate Covenant, to bring a herd of goats to Glinodo for the third year, where they could browse the forest, clear away plant life, and provide native plants an opportunity to compete with invasive species. The Sisters committed to an educational component as part of the grant, prompting Sisters Annette Marshall and Jaqueline Sanchez-Small to seek Mercyhurst’s support.

Together, they decided to research to measure the presence of microbes and fungi, as well as levels of macronutrients and micronutrients in the woods of Glinodo, relative to the goats’ movements.

Using a multi-phase approach, Mercyhurst students, faculty, and staff began collecting soil samples from several plots, including where goats had never been and where they had been for two or more years.  Plans call for culturing the bacteria, doing DNA sequencing and nutrient content analysis, and potentially, Tarvin said, uncovering a direct link between the microbes in the soil and the goats’ activity.

Project participants from the Benedictine Sisters and Mercyhurst intend to share their findings at a community event in the near future. “Ultimately, we would hope that data we gather may inspire growers to utilize goats instead of fertilizers and herbicides,” Tarvin said. “If our research is successful, it will prove that goats not only clear woods of invasive plants but also give back to the soil to make the ground healthier than it was before.”

“The Benedictine Sisters of Erie commit to being a prophetic voice in the face of the climate crisis,” said Michelle Scully, program and events coordinator. “We hope that in our collaboration, this research the Mercyhurst team does can provide strong evidence and advocacy for this one way that we can steward the Earth with more care.”

Joining Tarvin in the study are Dr. Raj Mohan, associate professor of Biology; Dr. Chris Dolanc, associate professor and co-director of Environmental Science; Dr. Rebecca Matecha, assistant professor of Geology; Dr. Tori Hojnacki, assistant professor of Geology; and students Katie Curtis and Emma Stitzenberg.

Tarvin said the research project, funded by a grant of $5,000 from the Student Sustainability Fund, is in keeping with the tenets of the new Sustainability Strategic Plan and the Laudato Si´ Committee priorities to: 

• Incentivize increased use of the Student Sustainability Fund for student research projects
• Continue to integrate Benedictine Sisters into environmental religious coursework

PHOTO: Sustainability Coordinator Molly Tarvin makes friends with her research subjects.