Hurray for Horticulture

As you walk through the Zoo these next two weeks on weekdays, you may notice that some of our pathways are temporarily closed. This will last from Dec 2-13. You may still access most of the Zoo, and we do apologize in advance for any inconvenience, but we have some necessary tree work that we will be doing during these colder days. All pathways will be open during weekend days. One of the (many!) things that I love about working here is the collaboration of all departments for the betterment of the Zoo, the animals, and our environment. This includes our very important plant and tree life.

We have a fantastic Horticulture Team who works tirelessly to keep our plant and tree life healthy and happy. They go unnoticed by most of our guests, as they tend to work in the habitats and public pathways early in the morning before we open our gates. One of their many jobs is to ensure the health of all the trees that we have. Sometimes these evaluations result in needing to do some work, which is why some paths will be closed for a short time. While this is a lot of work for our Horticulture Team, the animal teams, especially our Carnivore Team, are very excited about what this means. It means that some of the branches that will be getting worked on will then be able to be repurposed for what we call “perching” or “propping” of our other animal areas! We will be able to get new branches for the big cats to scratch, the bears to rip apart, and the fossa to climb on (just to name a few). Not only does our Horticulture Team work hard for the plants, but they then use their resources to redistribute some of the plants to the animal teams. It’s all one big circle of life! As you walk through the Zoo next time, take a few extra minutes to appreciate our beautiful gardens, and then look even closer at the animal habitats and all the branches and plants and climbing options that our animals have. These are all courtesy of our Horticulture Team and their dedication to both the animals and plants at the Zoo. We would not be able to do what we do without these team members. If you happen to catch someone watering a plant or pruning a garden, please let them know how much we appreciate them. They’ll surely act a little embarrassed, but it will mean a lot to them, and you can just say that Jenny put you up to it. 
Jenny E.
Lead Keeper, Carnivores