NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 6, 2019

CONTACT:  
San Diego Zoo Global
Public Relations
619-685-3291

WEBSITE:   
sandiegozooglobal.org

NEWS RELEASE

San Diego Zoo Global Landscape Designs Featured in New U.S. Botanic Garden Exhibit in Washington, D.C.

          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.    

As an international nonprofit organization, San Diego Zoo Global works to fight extinction through conservation efforts for plants and animals worldwide. With a history of leadership in species recovery and animal care, San Diego Zoo Global works with partners in science-based field programs on six continents, and maintains sanctuaries and public education facilities in many places. Inspiring a passion for nature is critical to saving species, and San Diego Zoo Global’s outreach efforts share the wonder of wildlife with millions of people every year. Current major conservation initiatives include fighting wildlife trafficking and the impacts of climate change on wildlife species; broad-spectrum species and habitat protection efforts in Kenya, in Peru and on islands worldwide; preventing extinction in our own backyard; and expanding efforts to bank critical genetic resources and apply them to the conservation of critically endangered species. To learn more, visit sandiegozooglobal.org or connect with us on Facebook.

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