Everyone thinks of animals first when you mention a zoo, but
have you ever thought of how much plants contribute to
your zoo experience?
One
can’t think about a stately giraffe
without conjuring the tall acacia trees where it nibbles
leaves, or a jaguar without
imaging
the leafy ferns where it silently stalks its prey. Woodland
Park Zoo revolutionized animal exhibits by incorporating
the landscape and flora
where animals live in the wild into the actual exhibits.
This not only makes for a more naturalistic environment for
the animals, but also
enhances the zoo visitor experience by teaching about the
interdependence of animals, people and plants.
And
it’s up
to the zoo’s Horticultural staff to make the
illusion reality. This hardworking team is integral to
the success of the zoo’s exhibits by being involved from
the very beginning, when designers and exhibit planners begin
the process.
Working in tandem
with the zoo’s Animal Health Department, horticulturists
scour plant lists to see what plants will mimic native
habitats and
be safe for the animal residents. Even in our mild climate,
many tropical species
of plants will not thrive, so horticulturists find plants
that are look-alikes and approximate the look and feel
of tropical plants.
The
look isn’t confined inside the exhibits,
but also extends to all the public areas of the zoo as
well. The look-alike plants complete
the “you-are-there” scenario of the different exhibit
zones, from the palms in the Tropical Asia exhibit zone
to the stunted evergreens
and willows of the Northern Trail zone. Horticulture
staff also plants and maintains the more formal garden elements
at the zoo, from the
historic, award-winning Rose Garden to the gorgeously
vibrant
and colorful flowerbeds in parking areas.
Zoo
horticulture is a very specialized field that involves much more
than just
planting flowers. We invite you to
view the Flash slideshow
about “A Day with Zoo Horticulturists” to see the
myriad of tasks these amazingly talented individuals perform
every
day here at the zoo!
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