Baby goats join Clive Greenbelt program this spring

The kids are coming out to play.

Driving the news: The Clive Greenbelt Goat herd gave birth to their newest babies and they're preparing to head out along the trail to munch on some plants.

Why it matters: The goats aren't just cute ambassadors for the city. They help eat invasive species like honeysuckle — a fast-growing shrub that's causing higher chances of erosion into Walnut Creek.

• "They're the most-loved city employees," said Pete De Kock, assistant city manager.

State of play: Clive keeps 20 goats and one sheep through an agreement with a local resident.

• The sheep eats with its head down versus with its head up like the goats —catching the plants they miss, De Kock said.

Last year, they went through 19 acres of "really heavily-infested honeysuckle."

• The city has hired a research firm to study the goats and the honeysuckle to analyze the best grazing methods and how much was set back.

Between the lines: There's a reason the Clive Greenbelt Goats don't have names, except for Steve. Once the goats get old, they sometimes have to be switched out so a different lineage is bred.

• They get sold to a variety of places, including grazing or meat programs, said Richard Brown of Clive Parks and Rec.

Where to find them: At the moment, people can visit and feed the goats in their pen over at Clive City Hall.

• Once the weather warms up, they'll be out and about along the Clive Greenbelt Trail.