San Diego Zoo Global’s horticultural works are in the spotlight this month, with the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) in Washington, D.C. including landscape designs from both the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park in a new exhibit. USBG visitors will get the chance to see designs from the Zoo’s African Garden at Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks and the Safari Park’s Tull Family Tiger Trail as part of the “Celebrating New American Gardens” exhibit, which opened Jan. 31, 2019.
“Celebrating New American Gardens” presents 21 gardens from across the United States that have either been created or renovated within the last five years. The showcase includes photos, drawings, landscape designs and project descriptions that share the story of each notable garden.
San Diego Zoo Global staff said they are honored to have the Zoo and Safari Park included in this exhibit, and they hope this opportunity will help inspire an even wider audience to join the fight against species extinction around the world.
“It’s an honor to display one of our latest projects, Africa Rocks, and our incredible plant collections in the ‘Celebrating New American Gardens’ exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden,” said Stephanie Shigematsu, curator of horticulture at the San Diego Zoo. “Our hope is to inspire plant and habitat conservation worldwide—and this collection of diverse African biomes highlights and celebrates a number of these threatened species.”
“Experiences like these are important, to help inspire a passion for nature in everyone,” said Linda Post, horticulture manager at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “The naturalistic habitats we have provided for our critically endangered Sumatran tigers, as an example, remain pivotal to our mission of saving species. The immersive experience our guests encounter at the Safari Park shows how our botanical efforts play a fundamental role in both plant and animal conservation.”
The U.S. Botanic Garden is open to the public free of charge, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year. The “Celebrating New American Gardens” exhibit will be open through October 15, 2019, with programs, workshops, lectures and tours offered to the public. To learn more about the exhibit and associated programs, visit USBG.gov/NewAmericanGardens.
