City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/306909
ÌÞÊ/Àiià FOR COMMUNICATION PURPOSES 4HEY MARK THEIR TERRITORY USING SCENT GLANDS AND DEMONSTRATE HOW BIG THEY ARE BY THE SIZE AND HEIGHT OF THE SCRAPE THEY LEAVE ON THE BARK )F ) DECIDE TO PROTECT THAT TREE THOSE ANIMALS WILL SIMPLY MOVE TO A NEW TREE IN THE EXHIBIT TO CONTINUE THIS NATURAL BEHAVIOR JUST AS WILD ANIMALS WOULD IN A CITY PARK &ORTUNATELY $OUGLAS FIR IS RESISTANT TO INTERIOR ROT AND IS ABLE TO COMPART MENTALIZE DAMAGE EFFECTIVELY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME SO IT CAN WITHSTAND THIS MARKING /THER NATIVE SPECIES SUCH AS RED ALDER !LNUS RUBRA AND BLACK COTTONWOOD 0OPULUS TRICHOCARPA DO NOT RESIST INTERIOR ROT AND MUST BE PROTECTED OR SACRIFICED FOR ANIMAL ENRICHMENT )F THE TREES DO NOT POSE A HAZARD POTENTIAL TO THE PUBLIC OR EXTERIOR PERIMETER FENCES WE LEAVE THOSE TREES UNPROTECTED FOR ANIMAL ENRICHMENT AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO OBSERVE NATU RAL BEHAVIOR DISPLAYS 4HERE IS NOTHING LIKE SEEING AN LB KG GRIZZLY BEAR DIG ITS CLAWS INTO A TREE TRUNK OR A LB KG BISON BULL RUB HIS HEAD WITH ALL HIS MIGHT ON A FAVORITE EXHIBIT TREE 'RIZZLY BEARS DO NOT JUST SCRAPE AND RUB TREES #OOL FALL WEATHER IS ALSO THE START OF DENNING SEASON 4HIS IS HARDER TO TOLERATE BECAUSE DENNING CAN BE LETHALLY DISRUPTIVE TO THE ROOT SYSTEMS OF MATURE TREES 7E INSTALL HOT GRASS AS SOON AS THESE LARGE DENS ARE FOUND 3OME HOLES WE FILL BY HAND USING ADDITIONAL LARGE ROCKS AS INFILL MATERIAL TO DISCOURAGE REDIGGING 7HEN WE HAVE ACCESS WE USE MINI EXCAVATORS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT TO FILL HOLES IN A TIMELY MANNER *UST AS BEARS HAVE FAVORITE COMMUNICATION TREES TO SCRAPE CERTAIN DEN NING SITES ARE PERENNIAL FAVORITES 7E APPLY LARGE WOODY DEBRIS AND ROCKS OVER THE FAVORED LOCATIONS TO DISCOURAGE THE BEARS FROM DIGGING HOWEVER Ê}ÀââÞÊLi>ÀÊÀÕLÃÊ>`ÊÃVÀ>ÌViÃÊ>ÊÕ}>ÃÊvÀÊ*ÃiÕ`ÌÃÕ}>ÊiâiîÊÊÌÃÊÜ>ÞÊÌÊ iÞ}ÊÌiÊiÞÊvii`iÀÊiÀViÌ°Ê*ÌÊLÞÊ >Ì>Ê`ÀiÜà THE ANIMALS CAME TO IGNORE THE TRUNKS OF THE TREES ALTOGETHER ±"MBO %POHFT"TTJTUBOU$VSBUPSPG)PSUJDVMUVSF 5PMFEP;PP0IJP ! T .ORTHWEST 4REK 7ILDLIFE 0ARK NWTREKORG IN %ATONVILLE 7! WE HAVE A UNIQUE SETTING FOR MANY OF OUR CARNIVORE AND HERBIVORE ANIMAL EXHIBITS /UR ACRE HA PARK IS PREDOMINANTLY COVERED IN PLUS YEAROLD $OUGLAS FIR 0SEUDOTSUGA MENZIESII AND MIXED CONIFER AND DECIDUOUS FOREST /UR ANIMAL COLLEC TION IS MADE UP EXCLUSIVELY OF SPE CIES FOUND IN THE 0ACIFIC .ORTHWEST AND OUR EXHIBITS ARE FENCED OFF FOR EST SECTIONS THAT ARE THEN AUGMENT ED EXCLUSIVELY WITH NATIVE FLORA FROM THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC AREA (AVING ESTABLISHED MATURE TREES AND OTHER NATIVE PLANT SPECIES THAT ARE GENETI CALLY ADAPTED TO BOTH THE SOIL AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF OUR REGION HAS WORKED WELL FOR US :OO HORTICULTURISTS AND ARBORISTS TRY TO PROTECT PLANT COLLECTIONS OR INSTALL PLANTS THAT THE ANIMALS WILL NOT LIKELY DAMAGE (OT WIRE HOT GRASS WOODY DEBRIS THORNY SHRUBS AND OTHER EXCLUSIONARY MEASURES ARE COMMONLY PART OF THE ZOO ARBORISTS TOOLS FOR PROTECTION !S A HORTICULTUR IST ARBORIST AND GENERAL PLANT LOVER MY FIRST INSTINCT IS TO PROTECT TREES FROM DAMAGE BUT BASED ON KNOWN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND OUR SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS WE SOMETIMES TAKE A DIFFERENT TACK !T OUR 0ARK WE WANT THE ANIMALS TO DISPLAY NATURAL BEHAVIORS FOR BOTH THEIR HEALTH AND FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF THE PUBLIC $EPENDING ON OUR UNDER STANDING OF EACH ANIMALS BEHAV IOR WE SOMETIMES CONSIDER IT GOOD FOR ANIMALS TO DAMAGE TREES &OR INSTANCE IN OUR GRIZZLY AND BLACK BEAR EXHIBITS AND ACRES HA OF FREE ROAMING AREA WE HAVE $OUGLAS FIR THAT HAVE BEEN SCRAPED AND RUBBED FOR AS MUCH AS THIRTY YEARS /UR ANIMAL KEEPERS AND OUTSIDE WILDLIFE EXPERTS TELL US THAT BEARS BISON ELK DEER AND MANY OTHER NATIVE SPECIES SELECT SPECIFIC TREES