2022 NNLA Summer Field Day
On Wednesday, September 21st, NNLA held its annual Summer Field Day at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. After a continental breakfast, Terri Gouveia, curator of horticulture at the zoo, welcomed the group and shared a bit of the history of landscaping on the zoo grounds. Terri said she hopes that visitors to the zoo “lose themselves for a minute” and feel like they are no longer in Omaha. Her enthusiasm for plants was contagious and she set the stage for a day of very interesting tours throughout the property.
Attendees were able to choose to tour several different areas of the zoo. The tours were given by the horticultural staff in charge of maintaining those specific parts of the zoo grounds. It was impressive to learn that the 120 acre property is maintained by 14 staff members, many of whom have been with the zoo for several years. Much like the rest of the horticulture industry, the zoo has had trouble hiring new staff, so they have had to embrace wildness in some areas as there are not enough hours in the week to keep every landscape bed perfectly maintained. At the time of the tour the zoo was looking to hire two people to help with the Lied Jungle and the overall grounds.
The Scott African Grassland tour started with Steve who has been with the zoo for 35 years and in the horticulture department for about a decade. He explained that the landscapes of the grassland section of the zoo were designed to mask the buildings and to make visitors feel that they are “immersed in their (the animals’) habitat.”
A tour of the landscape areas along the elephant habitat was given by Nelson, who has cared for this area for 2 years and has been with the zoo for 6 years. He explained the challenges of maintaining areas within the elephant habitat. They have to work around the animals’ schedule and are unable to be in the habitat when the animals are out.
He pointed out a visitor-favorite arundo grass, Arundo donax, which is a tall perennial reed species that can reach 20 feet tall. They are also able to grow Albizia julibrissim (common names: mimosa, Persian silk tree) which is typically hardy to zone 7.
The Asian Highlands tour was given by Aiden. She has been with the zoo for 6 years and has maintained this area since it was built. It was easy to notice that the towering oaks original to the site were stressed and dying due to the recent construction. She also walked the group through the Simmons Aviary, explaining that it had been closed last year due to avian flu and that the birds are held inside during the winter.
Next, the attendees were guided through the Owen Sea Lion Shores. It is meant to replicate the habitat of the Pacific Northwest, which can be challenging in a Midwest climate.
The trailing Autumn Amber Sumac was featured throughout the exhibit to soften the rocky cliffs and ledges. They also use many evergreens, including incense cedar, Calocedrus decurrens.
The NNLA members in attendance were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the greenhouses by Katie, who has been with the zoo for 15 years. She has a wealth of knowledge about their greenhouse program and so much enthusiasm for the work they do. Katie explained that the orchid collection is rotated into the jungle as they are blooming. They have a collection of unique plants from Madagascar as well as an assortment of tropical plants. The greenhouse is also used to grow annuals for high-traffic areas and container plantings throughout the zoo grounds.
Over lunch, there were plenty of opportunities for networking with fellow horticulture industry members. The browse team gave a presentation detailing how they acquire woody browse (branches, twigs, and leaves), to feed to their animals. They grow some on-site, and they also accept donations from community residents and businesses. Favorite species of the animals include mulberry, hackberry, willow, birch, pear, and crabapple. They are unable to accept ash, oak, or maple browse. For more information on how to donate woody trees and shrub debris from project sites or nurseries contact the browse team at browse@omahazoo.com.
After lunch, more tours were available. The Desert Dome tour was led by Ted who has been with the zoo for 28 years. He also manages the irrigation system for the entire grounds. Ted explained that the sand in the dome came from an abandoned mine and was shipped in by Union Pacific Railroad. They are only able to hand water the plant collection in the dome, but, being desert plants, it isn’t done often. Some of the plants in the collection are on permanent loans from other sites. One of the most rare plants in the entire zoo is found in the Desert Dome. The Welwitschia mirabilis only ever grows two leaves and can be over 1,500 years old. It is typically found in the Namib Desert of Africa.
As a thank you to NNLA members for visiting the zoo, zoo staff offered a special opportunity to 15 lucky members. Fifteen names were drawn to have up-close-and-personal animal encounters. The remaining attendees were welcome to spend the rest of the day exploring the remaining zoo exhibits on their own. Popular exhibits included the Scott Aquarium and the Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion. Visiting the zoo was a big success, and NNLA plans to have events there in the future.
As an additional note, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo also has a browsing program. They have a slightly different list of accepted tree and shrub species, so for more information on how to donate, reach out to Jake Beierman at jbeierman@lincolnzoo.org.