07.14.2023

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Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

⚠️ Goats at work

Goats at work: Trail Conservancy releases herd to clear invasive plants

A sign reading "Poison ivy alert. Avoid contact."

When in doubt, remember the saying “leaves of three, let it be.” | Photo by ATXtoday

You herd it here first — these goats are the GOAT.

The Trail Conservancy released 150 goats on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail this week in partnership with Rent-a-Ruminant — a goat-based vegetation management company — to address poison ivy and invasive plant overgrowth on the trail.

The goats will work to clear the trail 24/7 for three weeks during the trial program. Don’t worry, they’ll be monitored at all times for safety. Trail Conservancy CEO Heidi Anderson said poison ivy is one of the biggest complaints the nonprofit gets from trail users.

Goats walk through the brush of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail. — The goats will have people cleaning up after them, so the Trail will stay clean.
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Gif by ATXtoday

Since goats don’t get poison ivy rashes (and eat just about “everything”), they provide an eco-friendly and safe solution to clearing the area. Once the goats finish mowing, the Trail Conservancy will mulch the area to control regrowth.

“We hope trail users enjoy getting to enjoy their morning walk with the goats,” Heidi said. “It’s a really innovative and creative alternative to some of the other tactics we could use to eradicate poison ivy, like controlled burns, which affects air quality, or chemicals, which affect water quality in the lake.”

The goats — who have also made appearances in Houston and San Antonio — will work from MoPac and move eastward. Depending on funding, the Trail Conservancy may bring the goats back for more.

A map of The Hike and Bike Trail and indicators of where the goats will likely be — Trail Conservancy CEO Heidi Anderson said they are considering a third location for the goats.
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Map via Google Maps, graphic via ATXtoday

These Rent-a-Ruminant goats hail from a farm in Brownwood and graduated a training program to do vegetation management. They’re contained by a portable electric fence, so they won’t wander onto the trail.

Carolyn Carr, co-owner of Rent-a-Ruminant Texas, said each one has a name, which can be seen on their tag “earrings.”

“My unofficial title is chief naming officer,” Carolyn said. “I do take name requests, but they do have to match the goat’s personality.”

Events

Friday, July 14

Skyrocket! | Friday, July 14 | 7:30 p.m. | ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $25 | Dance all night to 70s and 80s tunes.

Saturday, July 15

Pioneer Ghost Tour | Saturday, July 15 | 7-10 p.m. | Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr., Austin | $45 | Learn the stories of spirits haunting the historic buildings at Pioneer Farms.
Sporting Kansas City vs. Austin FC | Saturday, July 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Q2 Stadium, 10414 McKalla Pl., Austin | $59-$97 | You know the drill: put on your best verde and head to Q2 Stadium.

Sunday, July 16

Cars & Coffee Austin | Sunday, July 16 | 8-11 a.m. | Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd., Austin | Free | Check out some of the coolest cars in Texas at this free showcase — or register your own vehicle for $10.
Beginner’s Succulent Arrangement & Planting Class | Sunday, July 16 | 1-2 p.m. | Succulent Native, 2058 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $28 | Get tips on caring for and arranging succulents.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Weather

High temperatures hit 108º on Wednesday, one degree below the daily record and the hottest day so far this summer. The hottest recorded July temperature — which blazed in 2022 and 2018 — is 110º. (KVUE)

Real Estate

The median home sales price for the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area fell by 9% — to $483,000 — in June. The area is now sitting at 3.7 months of inventory, according to the Austin Board of Realtors, an increase of 1.6 months compared to May.

Open

Bodhi’s Hideaway, a new ‘90s-themed tiki bar, is now open in Stinson Yard at 10402 Menchaca Rd. The “hidden” space is a haven for “Point Break” references, starting with Patrick Swayze in the logo. (Eater Austin)

Try This

A vegan fine dining restaurant is in the works for East Austin, at 1701 E. MLK Jr. Blvd. Opening sometime this month, Fabrik will focus on tasting menus, locally sourced ingredients, foraging excursions, and fusion flavors. (Eater Austin)

Biz

After a short hiatus, JuiceLand reopened it’s Hyde Park location, 4500 Duval St., with a twist: the smoothie chain is now sharing the space with gelato shop Gelatoro. In other news, JuiceLand’s newest Austin location is slated to open this fall at 600 E. Ben White Blvd. (Austin Business Journal)

Community

Dallas-based St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy of Texas expanded prescription service to Central Texas. The pharmacy, which already has a north Austin location, now fills prescriptions for free for those in need by mail or at select local clinics. (KVUE)

Ranked

According to NBC’s Today Show, Round Rock is the No. 1 place to live in the country. Also on the list: Sarasota, Florida; Tacoma, Washington; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Raleigh, North Carolina. (KXAN)

Finance

This leading balance transfer card offers 0% intro APR for guess how many months… with no annual fee. (Hint: It’s one of the longest 0% intro APR periods we’ve seen.) Details revealed here.*

Travel

Searching for the perfect luggage set that’s both lightweight + durable? We love this set for its polycarbonate shell and quiet double spinner wheels.*

City

🪞 Which city is the weirdest of them all?

Austin, Portland, Asheville: Which city is the weirdest?

Even “Portlandia” recognizes Austin’s weird. | Gif via Giphy

“Keep Austin Weird” is a slogan all residents — and many visitors — are familiar with but, as beloved as the phrase is among locals, it isn’t exclusive to the Capital City. If you spend time in Oregon or North Carolina, you might notice “Keep Portland Weird” and “Keep Asheville Weird” nomenclature, which begs the question: Which city has the strongest claim to the weird throne?

We asked our fellow city editors at PDXtoday and AVLtoday to share their thoughts on why their respective cities earned the phrase.

Keep Austin Weird

Austin has its fair share of unconventional traits. Name another city that faithfully celebrates Eeyore’s Birthday, had an iconic thong-wearing mayoral candidate, is Matthew McConaughey’s preferred place to play bongos in the nude, or has a mule-riding Santa Claus. We’ll wait. Don’t believe us that Austin is the weirdest? We’ll be “alright, alright, alright.” - Laura Figi, ATXtoday city editor

Meet PDX + AVL

Asked

Which city is, in your opinion, the weirdest?

A. Austin
B. Portland
C. Asheville

Mirror, mirror

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

My love of hanging out with animals is no secret, and if you’re like me, you’d probably enjoy a visit to Purr-fecto Cat Lounge. After just a year in business, the lounge has adopted out more than 400 cats.

The lounge celebrates its one-year anniversary this month, so keep an eye out for some themed events.

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