by azhadminKM

The 2017 winners of the Wendy Andrew Cultivation Grant were announced earlier this year: Michaele Bergera of Sacramento Zoo and Melanie Anderson of Buffalo Zoo. Both projects will utilize signage to encourage guests to explore plant collections and significant specimen trees.

Sacramento Zoo:
Michaele proposes to create and install signs that will educate/inform zoo visitors about the significance of trees that are endangered, threatened, or otherwise in need of protection. Among the trees that will be highlighted at Sacramento Zoo are:

• Valley Oak (Quercus lobata): Three Heritage Oaks, 300-plus years old, are currently under protection at Sacramento Zoo. Signage will explain the importance of these trees to our visitors, as well as the steps being taken to protect their future.
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  Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis): Signage will address the importance of protecting this species, which is listed as Threatened on IUCN Red List.

• Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis): Signage will address the importance of protecting this species, which is listed as Critically Endangered on IUCN Red List.

Educational signage for these trees will show guests that the Sacramento Zoological Society places a priority on plant conservation as well as animal conservation.

Buffalo Zoo:
The goal of the Melanie’s project is to help the Buffalo Zoo’s guests explore the plant collection, as well as the importance of those plants to ecosystems and our daily lives. This goal is part of a three-year strategic plan objective of using horticulture to enhance the visitor experience.

To accomplish this goal, the interpretive plan of the Zoo will be expanded to include plant signage. Significant plant species along major Zoo pathways will be tagged to include identification as well as information about the plant’s connection to its ecosystem. Active engagement in learning is more effective for knowledge retention, so the signs will include questions designed to encourage guests in exploring plants. The Zoo will also enhance horticulture training for docents to help them integrate plants into their general tours.