Friday October 11th Paper session
8:00-8:15 Welcome and Opening Remarks- Joe Williams
8:20- 9:10 Rob Halpern Zoo Horticulture Consulting & Design- Not Your Grandparents’ Zoo Horticulture
In August 1980, forty-five horticulturists from zoos gathered in Philadelphia for the 1st International Conference for Zoo Horticulture. The gathering concluded with the formation of the AZH “an organization dedicated to the promotion of horticulture as an integral part of zoo design; to support and promote the conservation of endangered species as well as endangered habitats; to hold an international conference annually for the sharing of new ideas and information about plants and their role in zoos; to publish a newsletter; and to promote zoo horticulture as a profession”. How would they have defined what zoo horticulture is? How would we define the field today? Have we made progress with these goals? Rob will not offer a forty-five year review of the AZH but will lead us through a look at what zoo horticulture has looked like over the years to give us a common vocabulary to build zoo horticulture for the coming decades.
9:15-10:10 Andrew Fontaine Phoenix Zoo and Annikki Chamberlain New Technology for Old Irrigation
Water is the heart of zoo operations, from exhibits to irrigation to guest experience. Water management is critical when considering the hundreds of water-use endpoints spread across multiple irrigation systems. Cutting edge advancements in water submeter and irrigation technologies have made it possible for zoos to manage water use, optimize operations, and reduce expensive waste. This presentation will discuss water submeter technologies and applications, tools to optimize irrigation efficiency and aesthetics, and tips on how to integrate these tools into existing operations.
10:15-10:40 Poster session
10:45-11:40 Jonathan Stechschulte PGAVDESTINATIONS- Congo Falls: Designing Big for Gorillas at the San Antonio Zoo
The new Congo Falls Gorilla Habitat and Event Center Complex at the San Antonio Zoo, currently under construction, incorporates multiple types of horticultural interventions. These include a green roof within the gorilla habitat, the preservation of existing live oaks both within and outside of the habitats, utilization of the habitat as stormwater infrastructure, sacrificial planters, the inclusion of multiple seed mixes, including a no – mow native grass mix, and the use of soil cell systems for existing and proposed tress. The talk will explain site assessment and species selection processes and general logic informing the planting design.
11:45-12:10 Havard Ostgaard with Species 360/Hortis
Can quality plant records boost the impact of Zoo Horticulture at your institution? In this talk, we will explore how modern botanical record-keeping can transform your zoo's operations. We'll share success stories from zoos that have modernized their plant management with Hortis and discuss how this innovative platform can help you enhance your impact and achieve your goals more efficiently.
12:15- 1:40 Business Lunch
1:45- 2:40 Panel Discussion:You Are Moving Where?! Advantages of a Multi-institution Career Leigh Anne Lomax, Danielle Green, Joe Williams
Sometimes our careers take us where we least expect in. This panel discussion will hear from 3 zoo horticulture professionals who have worked in different institutions or different fields of horticulture throughout their professional careers. The panel will discuss the advantages of changing jobs, the lessons learned, and how those moves have impacted their current roles.
2:45-3:10 Amber Yates Jacksonville Zoo-Right Passion, Right Place
The objectives of this presentation are to show the discovery of zoological horticulture, how a beginner can find their way in the field and give insight into what employees are looking for themselves in their careers. It will demonstrate multiple fields with a connection to horticulture, conservation, and sustainability. It will reflect the career path of Amber Yates. These examples could inspire and impact someone new to the field or looking to try a new career. The experience provides examples of communication, following passions, opportunities that beginners need help sourcing, and team building.
3:15- 4:10 Committee Meetings
Please use this time to attend a committee meeting of your choosing, even if you don’t belong to a committee. AZH needs your support in this, so please do not use this hour as free time.
Conservation, Education, Membership, Communications, Info/Survey
4:15-5:10 Christy Powell San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Building a Conservation Program – Where to Start?
There are so many species that need our attention, but we are limited by time, labor and resources. Conservation planning increases the effectiveness of our conservation efforts and brings partners together to generate positive change in the species and/or landscape. There are several resources to guide the process of conservation planning including online tools and courses and example plans. Walking through the conservation planning process will build confidence in your skills, create a conservation action plan moving forward and elevate the conservation project in your department and organization. Once a conservation action plan is in place, funding for grants and resources are easier to obtain. In the United States alone about three of every 10 plant species are threatened. Worldwide it was recently predicted that 45% of angiosperm species are potentially threatened. There is an urgent need to stem biodiversity loss and effective conservation planning can focus efforts and catalyze changes to reduce threats on a species or landscape, allowing wildlife to thrive.
Sunday October 13th Paper session
IPM session
8:00-8:25 Panel Discussion: IPM Wins and Losses Katie Davis, Misty Minar
Panel members will be giving a short presentation (about 2 to 3 minutes) about a IPM success or challenge they have encountered at their Zoo. The audience then is encouraged to ask questions and hopefully share their success and/or challenges on the subjects presented or other topics that may arise. Misty will share her experience of naturalizing Cryptomeria in the Amazonia Building and Katie will share her experience battling the Ambrosia Beetle.
8:30-9:25 Matthew Slaughter-Earthfort Virtual presentation- Creating Habitat: Perspective on Living Soils
This presentation will provide an in-depth look at Earthfort’s mission and the critical role of biological soil science in creating sustainable habitats. We will review what it means to have “healthy soil biology,” including the importance of biological soil testing and amendments.
9:30-9:55 Shaku Nair, Ph.D. Arizona Pest Management Center- Emerging Pest Threats to Landscapes
Abstract: Landscape pests include plant/outdoor pests including insects, diseases, weeds and wildlife; as well as structural pests that can be found within or around buildings, such as rodents. Changes in our environment due to abiotic factors, climate change as well as human interventions have resulted in changes in the pest scenario. This session will look at some of the recent trends in landscape pest incidences and provide suggestions for management using an IPM approach.
10:00-10:25 Poster session
10:30-10:55 Gerrett Morris Rolling Hills Zoo- Creating a prescribed burn association.
Gerrett will be talking about how Rolling Hills Zoo lead the local region in creating a prescribed burn association. The talk will include the conservation value of managing the prairie and grasslands in central Kansas including the zoo property.
11:00-11:25 Panel Discussion on Seasonal Horticulture Displays Jeff Pera, Leigh Anne Lomax, and David Farrow
Each presenter will go through a set of slides showing what displays are made for each season. They will discuss the cost of material and time spent in creating and maintaining each seasonal display. They will also discuss the perceived value to the zoo and the guest experience
11:30-11:55 David Farrow Nashville Zoo- Creating an African forest in Middle Tennessee
The Nashville Zoo has once again used unique practices to create our new Leopard Forest exhibits. There are a few ways that I am aware of to move 40' trees and the way we did it was not one of them. But it worked!
12:00- 1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:50 Committee meetings
Please use this time to attend a committee meeting of your choosing, even if you don’t belong to a committee. AZH needs your support in this, so please do not use this hour as free time.
Program, IPM, AZH Liaison, Site Selection
2:00-2:50 A.D. Ali Davey Tree-Hazard Tree Assessment and Risk Management
Trees in zoological parks are an integral ecological component. They provide aesthetics, shading, browse, and maintain a comfortable environment for guests and animals. Their benefits increase with age, however, their risks may increase as well. Older, overmature trees experience structural defects that may create hazardous conditions. This presentation will provide an overview of how to read the body language of trees to identify defects and potential hazards. Methods to evaluate the risk with respect to targets will be presented, as well as new technologies to evaluate strength loss and potential consequences of failure of large limbs or the entire tree. The Horticulture Manager will be able to identify and mitigate potentially high-risk trees in a proactive manner.
3:00-3:50 Danielle Green Naples Zoo- Using Local Resources to Build a Plant Health Care (PHC) Program
This presentation will focus on how to use local tree care and plant health care companies to develop a program at your facility to care for trees in the landscape. Details of the Plant Health Care (PHC) program at Naples Zoo will be shared to include structural pruning, storm season preparation, periodic evaluation of specimen health, deep root fertilization, trunk injections, and training for horticulture staff.
4:00-5:00 AZH Game of Knowledge closing session
