BUFFALO, N.Y. — Even in the dead of winter, the Buffalo Zoo’s Rainforest Falls exhibit stays verdant. Vines creep. Birds nest in a green canopy. Flowers bloom in a firework of color.
The caretakers of this elaborate, indoor garden include Steve Mead, the zoo’s director of horticulture and maintenance, and Dave Goehle, zoo groundskeeper. The two took time to answer some questions about what it takes—behind the scenes—to keep the forest healthy.
Q: What are some of Rainforest Falls’ most intriguing or unusual plant species, and why are they special?
A: All plants are special. They provide food, medicine, building materials to indigenous peoples and there is a large potential for pharmacological researchers to develop new medicines from these plants. The animals and plants have complex relationships that have evolved over millions of years. The loss of just one species can affect many others.
Q: Which plants at Rainforest Falls are the most difficult to tend to, and why?
A: Difficulty depends on perspective—trying to keep specific insects under control for some species is difficult (e.g. thrips on Tabebuia), trying to keep bromeliads and orchids in continuous bloom is difficult. With each plant species comes a unique set of cultural circumstances that need to be addressed. Whether you consider a plant difficult or not, it’s just part of the challenge of the job.
Q: Tell us about the frogs and other pest-prevention measures at Rainforest Falls.
A: Red-eyed tree frogs and Common Anoles were released to eat flies, ants and other insects. We use a wide range of beneficial insects to control insects that harm the plants. The beneficial insects for the most part are quite specific as to what insects they will control. Populations of harmful and beneficial insects are monitored on a regular basis. In some cases it is possible to maintain a population of beneficial species other species need to be re-released when the population of harmful insects grows too large. Examples of the beneficial insects we use are—Cryptolaemus, Chrysoperia, Hippodamia, Encarsia, Amblyseius, Phytoseiulus, to name a few.
Q: Why does Rainforest Falls need a horticulturist?
A: The amount of plant work that occurs on a daily basis is a full time job. This includes watering, pruning overzealous plants, scouting for harmful insects, planting, removing plants that have been excessively ‘loved’ by animals, hosing bird droppings from leaves, adding soil where it has settled or compacted, checking and repairing irrigation systems, removing plant parts damaged by the animals, releasing predator insects, monitoring predator insect populations, maintaining the plants in the greenhouse so they are ready to be rotated into the exhibit when needed, propagation of some plant species.
Q: What would you like people to know about what you do?
A: We hope that our visitors to Rainforest Falls gain at least some enjoyment and appreciation of the incredible biodiversity of the rainforest, and the importance of preserving it. We think that is the main reason that all of us do what we do here at the zoo—be it Rainforest Falls or any of the other exhibits.
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