Riverside Park Conservancy’s Goatham program has hit a new milestone: the Riverside Park goats now have a dedicated Instagram page focused solely on the herd and their work.
After a historic turnout of 2,500+ attendees at this year’s welcoming ceremony and first-ever competitive eating competition between the goats, ‘The Great Goat Graze-Off,’ interest in the caprine crew remains at an all-time high. To keep up with the demand for goat content, the Conservancy created the new social channel to raise awareness about the herd, all while spreading joy and a little levity to the feeds of New Yorkers and goat fans across the world.
The account features regular goat updates, adorable photos, and learning opportunities about the work the goats do throughout the summer. It aims to offer a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the lives of the 5 goats currently living, working, and eating in Riverside Park: Romeo, Mallomar, Butterball, Kash, and Rufus.
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The account is led by volunteers who help take care of the goats and who are eager to share their passion for the herd with more people online.
“I truly love the goats,” said goatherd volunteer Susanna Allabach. “They are such wonderful animals who bring joy to the neighborhood and remind us of the beauty beyond city life. I feel proud and grateful to volunteer with them and to share that goat joy by working with the amazing Instagram team.”
“I got involved because I wanted to contribute to the amazing work the Goatham crew is doing,” said goatherd volunteer Mia Posmantur. “I’m in the middle of a career change and recently started volunteering in areas I care deeply about. The experience has been so rewarding. I love working as part of a team with the other volunteers and I’m proud of how our account is growing every day.”
“I was thrilled to join the Goatham social media team,” said goatherd volunteer Erin Baiano. “Creating photos and videos that capture just how charming, playful, and fascinating the goats are has been such a joy—it sort of feels like therapy. Each goat has their own unique personality, and getting to know them has been the highlight of my summer.”
“My relationship with the goats has been especially meaningful,” added Posmantur. “Spending time with the goats and being close to nature has been healing and inspiring.”
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The goats inspire connection between volunteers and neighbors in new ways.
“Beyond the goats, I’ve also loved the strong sense of community among the volunteers,” said Baiano. “Even though I’ve lived in this neighborhood for nearly 20 years, it’s only now that I’m meeting so many wonderful neighbors, all connected by our shared love of animals, the outdoors, and giving back to the community. The entire experience has been nothing short of joyful and deeply rewarding.”
Volunteers and community are at the heart of Goatham.
“Starting up our Goatham program, I had no idea how the community would respond but knew that we wouldn’t be able to take on this program without several dedicated volunteers to support the operations side,” said Kristen Meade, the Conservancy’s Director of Volunteer Initiatives. “What I didn’t expect was to have folks clamoring for volunteer shifts, even at 6:30am, for a chance to clean up the goat enclosure and get some quality time with our funny four-legged friends! It’s been beyond exciting witnessing how our goat volunteer corps has grown in both size and capacity, especially as we’ve launched @RiversideGoats on Instagram to give everyone more of an insider’s view of our herd.”
In its 6th year of bringing goats to Riverside Park, the Conservancy’s Goatham Initiative is a novel, pesticide-free method for clearing invasive plants. Undaunted by steep slopes, goats can navigate terrain that presents a major challenge for human gardeners, removing dense overgrowth and preparing these areas for more ecologically beneficial plantings in the future. 2025 marks the herd’s second year of tackling a vegetation-covered slope at West 143rd Street.
Be sure to follow @RiversideGoats on Instagram to keep up with the latest on the goats.