Neighbors have a gathering to send off the goats, celebrating their efficacy at fire avoidance
As wildfires are already raging throughout parts of California, Malibu West residents are painfully aware of the hazards presented by dry brush and other fuel on the hillsides surrounding the neighborhood.
For three weeks, a herd of goats have eaten through the brush on open areas near and in Malibu West.
“We have our hillside cleared every year,” Sabrina Downing, a Malibu West resident, said, noting that goats are a great asset in clearing brush on the uninhabited hillsides of West Malibu. 
This is the third year the neighborhood has utilized goats for brush clearance, Downing stated.
“Having the goats help with avoiding fire is a great thing for our neighborhood and we all love to watch them eat the brush — kids and adults love to visit them — you kind of feel like you’re in the country,” she said.
Biomimicry is important to the Malibu West and other ecosystems
Local resident Linda Gibbs discussed the science behind using goats for brush clearance and their vital biomimicry.
“For ecosystems to be healthy, animal integration is so important because they eat not just the brush and weeds, but also our native plants, which is very important; otherwise, they become fuel.” Gibbs explained. “Instead of the brush becoming fuel, the plants are eaten and then they are cycling nutrients and we move the succession along.”
Gibbs described the ecological effect of those processes: “Those natives become stronger after they’ve been eaten — instead of burning slowly through oxidation in a fire, they are being cycled through the gut of the goats.”
The concept, she stated, is known as “fire or fungi” in the parlance of ecosystem restoration principles. “Everything has to be recycled, either by fire burning slowly because the plant is oxidizing or a flame comes through or by brush going down on the ground and becoming fungi whereby all the microbes are broken down in a digester such as the goats,” Gibbs said. “Thus, with the goats being here, biomimicry is happening today.” 
According to goatfarmers.com, using brush goats for clearing plants to avoid fire is both cost effective — those who own the goats save on food — and very effective for fire avoidance. Moreover, goats can restore pastures that have been taken over by invasive plants and their manure is great fertilizer as well.
Goats are smarter than sheep, the website states, and “they have more relational interaction with humans than sheep — one research study found that goats can be compared with dogs in their relatability to people.”
On July 25, it was time to bid the goats adieu and the neighborhood gathered to say goodbye and to share some food and fun. Little ones and adults alike happily interacted with the goats, petting them and enjoying watching them eat and all their bleating. And, of course, they had to have a goat parade, a tradition that has rapidly become a fan favorite in the neighborhood.
“It’s my first time to come to this event and I loved it!” Ally Burke exclaimed. “It’s so much fun — I was expecting goats to run down the street and … that’s pretty much what I got, so I’m happy!”
Aynsley Silliman, who is visiting Burke from out of state, chimed in, saying, “It’s great for the goats to go up on the hillsides and clear all the brush. They’re so cute!” 
Resident Dermot Stoker joined in, adding, “This is a fantastic event that we have every year and it’s wonderful to have 200-plus goats come to help with home hardening so we can have a fire safe neighborhood. Our board, led by Tim Bigelow and the rest of the HOA crew, does a great job organizing all the details for us regarding having the goats andwe’re really lucky to have them.”
Gibbs reflected on the camaraderie in the neighborhood.
“I love Malibu West!” she exclaimed. “This is my third summer here since our house burned down in Pt. Dume and I love the camaraderie — I love that there are no fences and one can knock on a neighbor’s door and I love all the community events.
“When asked [about] the goat tradition every year — it’s terrific — it’s very important to do that to keep brush clear and have less fuel on the hillside.”
After the goats and the people had such fun interactions, everyone went home to their residence in Malibu West and the goats went on their way to the next hillside.
They’re never one to complain about work conditions!