A military base in the Comox Valley has called for outside reinforcements to deal with unwanted vegetation – and the new recruits aren’t sheepish.

19 Wing Comox has hired seven goats to help clear up an invasive plant problem at its infantry training ground in Seal Bay.

The herd was contracted out by Goats on the Hoof Vegetation Management as an eco-friendly alternative to loud machinery or hazardous chemicals.

“We’re really happy to be here supporting the base and their environmental initiative,” said company co-owner Beverly Ness.

The team is based in Parksville but tours the island, contracting out to businesses, municipalities and private homeowners who find themselves in the weeds.

“They’re very efficient. They can eat about 25 per cent of their body weight a day in plant material, so they’ll eat the seeds, the leaves, the berries,” Ness said.

“This has become more and more popular. We’ve been in business four years and this has been our most popular year for sure.”

The job could be done by crews with weed-whackers, but officials at the base say they’re testing the quieter, more environmentally friendly goats.

“We maintain a lot of fence line around here and we have a lot of property,” said Corey Dupuis, an airfield works team leader. “We have a lot of grass, bush and other plants growing that we try to keep up with and it’s quite a steady job.”

Using goats for the project had led to some “kidding,” but Dupuis said at the end of the day, it’s a good thing for the planet.

“Like anybody, we’re looking for more earth-friendly ways of operating and we don’t want to destroy the land that we have,” he said. “In certain areas, this could be ideal.”

The goats will likely be munching away until sometime Saturday.

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Gord Kurbis