Zootails 55
Zootails 55 - Behind the scenes: Landscape and Gardening Dept. Tu B'shvat is coming up bringing with it the opportunity to get to know the "greenest" department at the Zoo – Landscape and Gardening. Jon Goldberg- head of dept., Said Abu-tin, Wahel Jabes, Mahmud Jabes and Jamal Shakirat who gladly tell about why taking care of plants at a Zoo is no less important than taking care of animals. Jon is the creative genius behind the splashes of color you see every time you round a corner on one of the Zoo's twisty paths. He's the planner behind the always green and growing plants and trees, many of which are used as browse for the Zoo's residents. Jon has been working at the Zoo for 20 years now. He has an associate's degree in ornamental horticulture and is a certified arborist (other wise known as a tree surgeon). He is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture and the Association of Zoological Horticulture. He brings to our Zoo a powerful punch of professionalism belied by his easy going personality. Most of the staff starts their day at 7am, except Jamal, who arrives at 6:30 to get a head start on cleaning the main entrance area. Jon begins the day assigning the tasks. Ongoing maintenance includes lawn-mowing, pruning, leaf and litter collection, flower planting and most importantly keeping the Zoo grounds spotlessly clean. During the day, all the pruned edible branches need to be dispersed; elephants, kangaroos, herbivores, petting zoo animals, monkeys and parrots all enjoy the fresh leaves. Leftover branches go into the chopper to be used for bedding and padding. All organic waste is taken to the huge compost pile where hundreds of kilos of excellent fertilizer are produced annually and used to fertilize the Zoos' gardens (it can also be purchased at the Zoo store).The team do all of the planning and work internally using no outside contractors and there are always new projects going on. This year, 70 young trees were planted as part of a perennial project intended to increase shade along the walkway and special measures are used to economize water consumption. Recently, the dept finished working on the new Wet Side Story exhibit and currently they are working on a rest area at the Noah's Ark train station as well as planning the landscaping at our next new exhibit - the Israeli Otter. Sometimes they will get called on a special mission: a fallen branch or an animal climbing into a forbidden area. When we asked the team what they like best about their job, everyone had a different answer. Said: "I've always enjoyed gardening. Mostly, I enjoy working in a clean, green place, away from the grey city". Wahel: "I enjoy working on new projects. I see how our work changes the landscape. It is a great feeling to see how I plant a tree, it grows year by year and finally people sit by its shade. Sometime, we spend more time here than at home, which is why I have deep connection to the place". Mahmud: "I like pruning, but mostly I lake planting new flower beds. It gives the Zoo color. Gardening is what makes the Zoo such a pretty place. For instance, the new Wet Side Story exhibit was like a desert, until we arrived". Jamal: "I like the Zoo and am happy to work with a team that is like family". Jon concludes: "First of all, I feel blessed to have such a good team. These are kind, courteous people who see the visitors' eye to eye, always willing to help. They know how to work in a professional, efficient, caring manner. I came here as part of the Zoo development team 3 years before it opened. I feel blessed to celebrate 20 years here. I wish that we continue, step by step to make this place even more beautiful and attractive. I hope the visitors keep coming to enjoy the beauty of the variety of animals and plants alike".
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