BOSTON (AP) — Officials at Harvard University have gotten creative with their effort to clear space for new plants at its arboretum.

The Boston Globe reports four hungry goats have been tasked with eating weeds and other unwanted vegetation at the Ivy League school's Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

Officials say the goats are being kept at the arboretum in a small, electrified enclosure that allows them to work on one area at a time. The enclosure will be moved around the preserve during the next few weeks to take advantage of the goats' voracious appetite.

The arboretum says the goats have helped minimize chemical control and the program may be expanded if it proves successful.