Celebrating Plants and the Planet:



"Amazon and Beyond" opened at the Miami MetroZoo the other day! It was
exciting for me to work on a tropical rain forest exhibit that would be
outdoors! And since this one features four distinct ecosystems, it was a fun
challenge. Congratulations to the Zoo on a groundbreaking new exhibit.
You'll find a link that includes a video tour by a VERY enthusiastic Ron
McGill at www.zooplantman.com/ (Projects/Zoos)



"Auld lang syne" is all very well, but the future is in the fruits and the
seeds. So December's links at www.zooplantman.com (NEWS/Botanical News)
look at seeds from various angles.



· In a large swath of North America, the oaks produced no acorns
this year! How could that happen and what will it mean for wildlife?

· Umbrellabirds are beautiful and their lek behavior is fascinating.
But did you know that they shape their forests by collecting and planting
seeds of the plants they rely on?

· Seeds are dispersed by wind, rivers, birds, mammals, even fish.
Meet a tree that uses its own squirt gun.

· Why are some fruit spheres while others are cylinders? Some have
ridges while others have bumps? What would scientists do if they could
manipulate fruits' shapes? They're dying to find out.

· The Award for "Most Important Plant of this Season" goes to... to
mistletoe. This incredible group of plants can be found around the globe and
has more seed dispersal strategies than, um, Don Juan on Viagra (that's my
last Viagra reference for 2008).



I guess animals have seed too, so if you're a sucker for a cute face, visit
http://www.zooborns.com/ (What acorn can compete with a baby babirusa?)



Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and -- most
importantly -- visitors! Remember, over a hundred other stories can be found
in the archive section of the website.



Rob





Zoo Horticulture
Consulting & Design
19 Meadowbrook Drive
Ossining, New York 10562-2910
914.762-6569
FAX 914.945-8915


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