The redevelopment of Auckland Zoo's Pridelands (African) precinct and Galapagos tortoise exhibit is seeing the Zoo’s team of green-fingered horticulturists continuing to work their magic, preserving and recycling plants.
Horticulture manager Hugo Baynes and team leader Terry Evans and their team have created a special holding nursery on-site for a wide variety of exotic and native plants uplifted from both exhibits for a new lease of life in these developments.
Some impressive looking dragon trees (Dracaena draco) – a Canary Island species reflective of some of the succulent vegetation found in The Galapagos Islands, were recently transplanted back into the Galapagos exhibit, to frame its new entrance.
"We sourced these trees from Auckland City Council back in 2007 when St Patrick's Square was being redeveloped, planting half in 2010 in our alligator area, 'The Tropics', and now the other half in the Galapagos exhibit.
"Despite this being their third move, they’re doing really well, and we're very happy to be re-using and recycling plants that are from elsewhere or were already part of the Zoo landscape," says Terry, who's very first job at the Zoo was working on the first Pridelands development in 1996!
In other dramatic moves, the team, along with The Specimen Tree Co, has just had a 100 tonne crane in to move a large willow myrtle (Agonis flexuosa) from the former island of planting in the giraffe paddock, as well as an adjacent giant aloe tree (Aloe bainsii) growing near the perimeter of the old exhibit.
"The Willow myrtle will make a stunning centre-piece tree in our new Pridelands aviary. Our visitors will walk under it, and it’s going to provide great perching for our new flock of love birds," says curator Hugo.
The tree aloe is being rehomed to be a feature tree in one of the new meerkat exhibits in the extensively redeveloped Pridelands, which will open to visitors in early 2016.
