Oxford Elementary students met two very adorable visitors during an assembly held in the school’s cafeteria March 22 – a pair of baby goats.

Oxford Schools’ International Baccalaureate Program organized the event to teach students about invasive plant species and how goats can help eliminate them.

Students brought in change and wore hats to raise funds towards Polly Ann Trail Manager Linda Moran’s current efforts to start “goatscaping” along the Polly Ann Trail.

OES students raised nearly $240 towards the cause.

Through the program, a herd of 15-30 goats would be fenced alongside the trail from morning to dusk, so they could graze away excess brush and invasive plants.

OES International Baccalaureate Coordinator Rita Flynn said the project is a great goal to get students thinking about the world that surrounds them.

“Part of our curriculum is to encourage students to take action and make a difference in the world and something that’s really awesome about this action is that it’s local. We want them to take action locally and globally and this will be right in our backyard.”

According to Polly Ann Trail Manager Linda Moran, she hopes the project will also raise awareness within the community about how invasive species, such as phragmites and oriental bittersweet, can crowd out and harm native vegetation and animals.

“People use phragmites as windscreens. They leave them up to block the view from the neighbors… the problem with it is, it restricts water flow and it restricts the ability for turtles and ducks and geese to come to the shore, lay their eggs and raise their family which depletes their population,” Moran explained.

Moran’s current goal is to raise $10,000 in total, through OES’ fundraiser and others, to use as matching funds to qualify for grants at the local, state and national levels.

The goat grazing services would be provided by Pontiac-based City Girls Farm.

“The longer we can keep the goats on the trail, the better we can judge how it’s working. Our hope is to get this going as a really useful method of eradication of these invasive species,” said Moran.

Daniel Axford Elementary contributed well over $400 towards the project through a recent fundraiser. Moran has also had nearly $1,700 donated to the cause through other fundraisers.

The goats will begin grazing behind OES on April 8, when the students will be invited to watch the goats work.

“(These students) are helping us. I want them to come and experience what the goats do,” Moran added.

The goats are set to graze along the Polly Ann Trail, between Burdick St. and Drahner Rd., for two weeks starting April 8.

Although the goats will begin grazing at that location, Moran said her goal is to “goatscape” alongside the entire trail regularly.

The 14.2-mile-long trail runs through Orion Township and continues northeast through Oxford, Addison and Leonard to the Oakland-Lapeer county line at Bordman Road. Potential connections include the Paint Creek Trail, Bald Mountain Recreation Area, Macomb Orchard Trail, Clinton River Trail, County Parks and numerous recreational and public places.

Donations towards the “goatscaping” project may be made at gofundme.com/polly-ann-trail-fundraiser.

Additionally, Moran is seeking donations for trash cans to be placed along the trail to cut back trail littering. Donations may be made at www.pollyanntrailway.org.