The day after Labor Day (September 4, 2007), construction began for the new Elephant Odyssey habitat at the San Diego Zoo. All the plants in the project area had been identified with different colored ribbon. A blue ribbon meant the LIMS (Landscape Installation Maintenance Specialists) crew would be responsible for their removal; these plants were mostly no larger than what would fit into a 15-gallon (56-liter) container. Orange ribbons were awarded to the largest plants that would need to be dug, boxed, and lifted with the help of a crane; an outside contractor would do this work. The lucky plants given a white ribbon would be able to stay in place; Elephant Odyssey would be built around them. The unlucky plants marked with red ribbon indicated they were to be demolished along with the roads, sidewalks, and old exhibits.

The first step for the Horticulture Department was to begin salvaging almost all the plants in the former Horn & Hoof Mesa area. Those 7 acres (2.8 hectares) of the Zoo contained up to 95 percent of the Zoo’s Aloe collection as well as many other succulents and several of the more important specimens of our Cycad collection. For the next several months, the LIMS crew of seven gardeners worked just ahead of the bulldozers to remove and relocate as many plants as we could. Some of the plants were transplanted to improve other parts of the Zoo; the narrow bed at the top of Cat Canyon was re-landscaped with not only plants from the construction zone but also boulders and the display case for our caudiciform plants.

Other plants had to be put in pots and stored until the project has progressed to the point where the plants can be returned to the site. So far, the transplants have gone very well with very few unsuccessful moves.

Whenever accessioned plants are ever moved (or worse, die) they must be recorded. Each plant has an embossed aluminum tag that, with any luck, is the plant’s companion for life. The tag has the plant’s name and accession number embossed on it. For every accessioned plant moved during this project, the paper work was properly updated. In the case of the plants put in storage, the paper work will have to be done again when the plants are returned to Elephant Odyssey. Some of the trees salvaged from the project can be seen in boxes along the north side of Cat Canyon road.

Mike Masterson is a lead gardener at the San Diego Zoo.

Here is more information about Elephant Odyssey…

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