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 & OUNDED IN (ENRY 6ILAS :OO IN -ADISON 7ISCONSIN IS A ACRE HA ADMISSIONFREE ZOO OPERATED BY $ANE #OUNTY 7HEN ) THINK OF OUR ZOO ) TEND TO THINK OF OPPORTUNITIES MORE THAN CHAL LENGES &OR INSTANCE WE ARE DOING SOME CREATIVE URBAN WOOD UTILIZATION FOR ENRICHMENT OF THE ANIMALS WITH WHAT WOULD PREVIOUSLY BE THOUGHT OF AS WASTE WOOD 7E PROVIDE LARGE CHUNKS OF OAK LOGS FOR THE RHINOS TO INTERACT WITH PLATFORMS FOR THE GOATS TO STAND ON HOLLOW LOGS FOR THE POR CUPINES TO TRAVERSE AND BRANCHES FOR PARROTS TO PERCH ON 7E EVEN SAVE THE INVASIVE MULBERRY BRUSH CUT FROM THROUGHOUT THE #OUNTY PARKS AS A DIETARY ADDITIVE FOR THE GIRAFFES 4HE ANIMAL KEEPERS ARE EXTREMELY IMAGINATIVE IN THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR REUSING ALL PARTS OF A TREE 7E HAVE !MERICAN BISON THAT LOVE RUBBING UP AGAINST AND TRAMPLING THE HONEY LOCUST TREES IN THEIR ENCLO SURE &OR THE TREES THAT WERE DAM AGED BEYOND SAVING WE REMOVED THEIR CROWNS TO LIMIT ANY HAZARD LEAVING TRUNKS TO PROVIDE AN OPPOR TUNITY FOR ANIMAL ENRICHMENT 4HE REMAINING HONEY LOCUSTS HAD A NATU RAL AESTHETICALLY PLEASING BOULDER WALL BUILT AROUND THEM TO SEPARATE THEM FROM THE ANIMALS 7ITH THE LARGE CATS WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THEIR CLIMBING ABILITIES SO THEY DONT GET UP AND OUT OF THEIR ENCLOSURES 7E KEEP TREES LIMBED UP HIGH AND AWAY FROM THE PERIMETER OF THE ENCLOSURE 7E CHECK IN REGU LARLY WITH ZOO STAFF TO UNDERSTAND THE ABILITIES OF THE ANIMALS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE ARE MAINTAINING ENOUGH CLEARANCE 7E ALSO HAVE TO PRUNE TREES OUTSIDE THE ENCLOSURES TO ENSURE NO HUMANS ENTER THE EXHIBITS BY CLIMBING TREES (ENRY 6ILAS :OO HAS A GREENHOUSE AVIARY WITH TREES NEEDING ATTENTION 7ORKING WITH TREES INDOORS AND IN DEGREEPLUS TEMPERATURES CAN BE QUITE NICE DURING THE LONG COLD 7ISCONSIN WINTERS 4REES CAN ONLY GROW SO TALL BEFORE THEY RUN OUT OF ROOM SO ITS EXTRA IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE RIGHT TREES IN THE RIGHT PLACE 4HE TREES IN THE GREENHOUSEAVIARY ALSO GET INTENSIVE PRUNING AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR !MONG THEM ARE .ORFOLK ISLAND PINES AVOCADO AND FICUS TREES AND PALMSPRESENTING A LEARNING CURVE FOR ARBORISTS TRAINED IN THE FROZEN TUNDRA THAT IS 7ISCONSIN )N THE AVIARY WE ARE ALSO MINDFUL NOT TO DISTURB ANY NESTING THAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THE TREES OR UNDERBRUSH 4HE AVIARY ALSO PRESENTS SOME OPERA TIONAL DIFFICULTIES AS THERE ARE LITTLE TO NO DROP ZONES AND A NUMBER OF THE TREES HAVE LIMITED ROOTING ZONES MAKING SOME UNSAFE TO CLIMB #URRENTLY WE USE SCAFFOLDING AND LADDERS WHERE NECESSARY HOWEVER FOR GREATER EFFI CIENCY AND SAFETY WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT PUTTING A FALL ARREST SYSTEM INTO THE CEILING TO PROVIDE EXTRA TIEIN POINTS &INALLY AS (ENRY 6ILAS :OO IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FREE ZOOS IN THE COUNTRY IT IS A MAJOR DESTINATION FOR LOCALS AND TOURISTS ALIKE DRAWING IN NEARLY A MIL LION VISITORS EVERY YEAR 4HIS PRESENTS A PRIME OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE OUR INDUSTRY AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC &OR INSTANCE WE WORK WITH THE :OO EVERY %ARTH $AY TO PUT ON A h+IDS #LIMBv WHICH DRAWS THOUSANDS OF YOUNG CLIMB ERS AND THEIR PARENTS AND GIVES US A CHANCE TO INFORM THEM ABOUT %MERALD !SH "ORER PLANTING THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND WHAT AN ARBORIST IS AND WHEN TO HIRE ONE 4HERE IS NO OTHER PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE WE AS ARBORICULTURE PROFESSIONALS GET TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC ON THIS LEVEL 4HAT IN ITSELF IS BOTH A REWARDING CHALLENGE AND AN INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITY ±"EBN"MWFT"SCPSJTU%BOF$PVOUZ1BSLTBOE-BOE8BUFS3FTPVSDFT)FOSZ7JMBT ;PP.BEJTPO8JTDPOTJO ! T THE .ORTH #AROLINA :OOLOGICAL 0ARK ACRES HA WE HAVE MORE THAN DIFFERENT TREE SPECIES IN THE COLLECTION %ACH EXHIBIT HAS DIFFER ENT CHALLENGES FOR EXAMPLE IN OUR CHIMP GORILLA BABOON AND LEMUR EXHIBITS WE INSPECT AND PRUNE TREES NOT ONLY FOR SAFETY BUT TO PREVENT ANIMALS FROM USING TREES TO ESCAPE THEIR ENCLOSURE >VÊLi>ÀÊV>ÜÊÃVÀ>«iÃÊÊÀi`Ê>`iÀÊÕÃÊÀÕLÀ>®ÊÌÀÕÃÊ>ÀiÊÌÊÕiÊÌiÊ}À>vvÌÊV>ÀÛi`Ê ÌÊVÌÞÊÌÀiiÃÊLÞÊÕ>ðÊ*ÌÊLÞÊ>iÊ*