The 34 goats and 2 Great Pyrenees guard dogs were on the mountain for 85 days (June 22 –
September 14, 2011) following the 5 day seed-free food quarantine that began on June 17. The 9 permanent transects (54 of the 55m
2 plots – 1 plot not monitored due to yellow jacket nest) and the 12 Gray’s Lily Macro-plots (5m radius circular plots) were remonitored and the multiple photo points were again used (ca. 174 photos have been submitted with this report). Someone checked on the goats every day and someone camped 70 of the 84 nights (Jamey spent 49 nights and missed 2 days). 6 new paddocks (= 3.60 acres) were installed in 2011. A total of 13.016 separate acres were browsed including all 2009 paddocks and all but 0.873 of the original 2008 paddock acres. Within the browse plots, graminoids have increased from 40.91% absolute % cover in 2008 to 96.8% cover in 2011. There was a 40.8% funding shortfall in 2011. Data analysis is ongoing.
Thanks to all the volunteers, partners and goat adopters that made 2011's season such a success! We hope you will continue to support this important program in 2012 - and we look forward to working with you.
