18 INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2019
DEPARTMENTS / Wildlife
Putting Wildlife to Work
How Humans Are Finding Natural Solutions to Nature’s Problems
By Alex Moersen
Technological advancements have been at the
forefront of the sustainability movement.
Electric vehicles have been developed to
reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Solar
energy has been made so cheap that
people can install panels on their
homes. However, while we often
look toward future technologies to
assist in our sustainability efforts,
the answer is often right in front of
us: nature itself.
Permaculture is a set of design principles that
focus around natural processes to create a
sustainable and eco-friendly system.
Oftentimes, this includes introducing animals
into a system to fight off pests and weeds. One
of the most popular examples takes place across
Asia, where ducks are often released into rice-
paddies to eat pests and weeds and leave behind
natural fertilizer. With these ducks on patrol,
farmers can reduce and even eliminate their
need for artificial fertilizers, herbicides, and
pesticides – all three major concerns in the
realm of sustainability.
The practice of integrating ducks into
rice paddies isn’t necessarily new. It was
first documented in China about 600
years ago, but farmers were quickly
lured away from this ancient practice
by quick-fix fertilizers and pesticides.
But once these industrial technologies
started to pose a threat to the
environment, many farmers went back to
this practice, referred to as “integrated rice-
duck farming.” The practice is so successful
that a number of other industries have been
applying it as well; for instance, a vineyard in
South Africa, Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate,
reportedly hired 800 ducks for pest control and
fertilization.But animals can be put to work on more than
just farms. Most recently, California has hired
herds of goats to help mitigate future wildfires.
If you recall, 2018 brought severe fires to the
state of California, with a total of 8,527 fires
burning a total area of 1,893,913 acres. When
summer begins and the rain stops, California’s
vegetation quickly turns crisp and brown; the
tiniest spark could set off a major fire. What’s
worse is there are few weapons against this
threat. Prescribed burns can quickly get out of
hand and chemicals could leach into the water
supply.This conundrum led to a creative solution:
goats. In December 2018, Reinette Senum, vice
mayor of Nevada City, started a crowdfunding
campaign – Goat Fund Me – in order to
purchase goats that would clear the potentially
dangerous vegetation in and around the city.
The trend is so popular across California
that a number of goat rental services
are available: Goats R Us, Rent a
Goat, Goats on the Go.
Environmental Land Management
operates a herd of 1,200 goats that
work in cities throughout southern
California. Their tireless appetite
makes them ideal candidates for
clearing brush and many herds are
acclimated to working in urban
environments.Sometimes the best answers are right in
front of us. In the case of sustainability,
sometimes the answer lies in trusting the
ecosystem to take care of itself. Regardless, the
ducks are happy, the goats are happy, and we can
all rest a bit easier knowing our farms and
communities are protected by these altruistic
animals. QPhoto: iStockphoto.com/bazilfoto