TN Nursery Sells Plants To the Birmingham Zoo

In the early morning sun‚ as the day was beginning‚ the morning sun's rays illuminated the Birmingham Zoo grounds in gold․ Birmingham Zoo is known for its commitment to education and conservation‚ and knew that the plants would be a great benefit to the landscape and operation of the zoo․ Locally there is TN Nursery‚ a local based plant nursery with a wide-ranging variety of plants available; the zoo also partnered with the Birmingham Zoo in an attempt to not only beautify the zoo grounds and our exhibits‚ but also help the zoo transition to a more sustainable zoo․ Together the hope was to create a lush‚ breathing landscape that told the story of all nature being connected as well as the role plants play in sustaining life․

Selecting plants for a zoo is a combination of art and science․ TN Nursery had to select plants that would thrive in the varied micro-climates across the length of the zoo․ Given the different environments the animals were expected to encounter‚ ranging from dry xeriscaped garden areas to wet environments around ponds‚ a wide variety of plant life was selected․ These included flowering plants of various colors‚ thick patches of shrubbery and other greenery․ The plants selected were intended to be attractive to humans and benign to the animals inhabiting them․ The objective thus was to create a unique and attractive environment that would be as natural and comforting as possible for the animals․

How Native Plants Support Wildlife 

One of the most impressive features of the collaboration was the emphasis on native plants‚ as TN Nursery is an environmentally-focused company that sought to bring Alabama's native plants to the city․ When grown‚ native plants are helpful to wildlife by providing food and/or shelter․ Birds‚ insects and small animals are commonly seen in their native habitats and so the zoo chose to plant native plants to create an environment for the biodiversity of wildlife to thrive․ The selection of plants for this site raised the need to preserve indigenous plant life and its contribution to the ecosystem's balance․

Before too long it became apparent that this was not just a project involving the zoo and TN Nursery․ This was a group of local gardeners‚ educators and environmentalists who had banded together to create a new‚ greener Birmingham․ Native plant education workshops were offered at the zoo and families living near the zoo were introduced to the idea of native plants․ Community volunteers participated on planting days to turn soil and dig holes in the sun․ The Zoo was seen as a community effort‚ and as something that was not just a tourist attraction but somewhere that was good for education and development of the local community․

The zoo's biophysical attractions were to be improved by an abundance of trees and flowers‚ so that visitors would not only enjoy seeing animals‚ but would also relish wandering through paths lined with colorful flowers and aromatic herbs․ Each of the plants contributes to the picture of the place‚ giving people at least hints of the web of life that exists․ To furnish the trees as shade for the people‚ to plant the wild flowers‚ that the families and the children might roll in the patches of color‚ these are improvements that have converted the zoo from a collection of animals into a museum of nature‚ as well as a museum of plants and animals․

TN Nursery Plants Brought Pollinators to Birmingham Zoo

In addition to their aesthetics‚ the native plants have attracted numerous pollinators and other birds to the area․ Bees‚ butterflies‚ and hummingbirds visited the flowering plants‚ improving the zoo with movement and color‚ while the trees and shrubs provided nests and food for birds‚ as well as habitats for other creatures․ In short‚ the natural rhythms of nature were restored‚ and a zoo became a place of diversity and change․ The zoo became a refuge not just for the animals that we housed‚ but for all of the other life that thrived alongside the new plantings․

Ultimately‚ TN Nursery's partnership with the Birmingham Zoo showed how local organizations‚ businesses‚ and institutions can make a difference in the environment․ The program was a reminder that all living things‚ no matter how large or small‚ are all interrelated‚ and that we must foster and protect the relationships we have with the environment․ Families would walk down the green pathways of the garden‚ and they would take interest in the insects that flew about‚ and in the flowers that had begun to bloom‚ as part of the big picture of nature's mosaic․ Overall‚ this project demonstrated that education‚ collaboration‚ and a shared love of the environment could help bring about a brighter and more sustainable future for both the zoo and its community․