Philly Goat Project
1 Awbury Rd.
Philadelphia
Jan. 11, 2026
The Philly tradition of burning your Christmas tree in the streets post holidays is facing competition — in the form of goats galore.
Instead of creating a fire hazard or leaving your poor tree to rot in a landfill, you can actually feed it to the goats at the Philly Goat Project. It’s a great way to start your year off fresh and with your best foot forward.
Or, if you’re like me (Jewish), you can skip cutting down any trees altogether and still visit the Awbury Arboretum in Germantown this January to hang out with the goats and people that are making a difference keeping trees out of the trash and our streets over complimentary s’mores, hot cocoa, and lawn games.
The Philly Goat Project’s annual festival has grown in popularity over the past eight years as a way of reducing the harms behind annual holiday deforestation. At Awbury, one of Philly’s beautiful arboretums, there are 13 goats who live on rejected pine trees all winter long, supplementing their usual diet of mostly hay (and grass and weeds in the warmer seasons) alongside their standard treats of raisins and peanuts.
The organizers of the project have turned the relatively straightforward endeavor of dumping your Christmas trees into a weekend festival series for Philly families. I checked out the scene last Sunday, which marked the start of the three-week long initiative. Even without a tree to dispose of, I had a blast meeting goats like Ray, a Nubian goat who recently lost one of his hind legs to an infection but now shows off his tricks and physical therapy exercises to adoring children, and Ivy, a tiny spotted Nigerian Dwarf goat who doesn’t let her small stature stop her from being the pack’s matriarch. Don't forget the ginger-furred Clementine, who boasted her agility skills while jumping to the top of her pen’s picnic table to reach twigs offered to her by an eager human audience.
Over the coming month, organizers expect around 4,000 guests to come visit their goats (it’s free to visit the arboretum, but a $20 donation is expected if you’re bringing an old tree). Just an hour after opening their gates for the event's opening day, volunteers had already collected 200 trees into two massive piles this past weekend.
While strolling around the park, watching families roast marshmallows over warming fire pits, I met Julie Marren, who recalled chopping up her Christmas tree for firewood in her cold hometown of Chicago. When she moved to Philly, she always put out a fake tree for her family, not liking the idea of just throwing out a real tree in the garbage after the holiday — until her son started volunteering with the Philly Goat Project, giving her a guilt-free way to bring a live Christmas tree back into her home. Everyone I spoke to at the event agreed: Feeding your tree to the goats is a perfect way to keep the spirit of the holiday season alive, by spending time with family and friends while considering not just what we can get from the environment, but how we can give back to it.
When asked how the goats feel about the festival, Leslie Jackson, the director of operations at the project, told me “they’re super spoiled — and they love being around people.” By the sound of laughter and banter from the crowds of people gathered on the cold winter Sunday, the patrons loved being around the goats, too.
The next opportunity to donate your Christmas tree will be Jan. 17 from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Laurel Hill West Cemetery, 215 Belmont Ave in Bala Cynwyd and the final event will take place on Jan. 24 from 12 to 3 p.m. back at Philly Goat Project headquarters at the farm at Awbury, 6336 Ardleigh St.
