Growing Together: The Volunteer Enrichment Garden at the Zoo

The new Volunteer Enrichment Garden is a collaboration between APC Master Gardener Volunteers and the Animal Nutrition Centre within the Zoo.

The project started when the Zoo approached our team of Master Gardeners who volunteer at the Park to ask if they would grow some plants to be harvested by the animal care professionals in the Zoo for enrichment for the animals.

Raised beds were built by one of the APC volunteers in front of the Volunteer Centre and the committed group of volunteers prepped the soil, planted the seeds, and have been watering and tending to the plants throughout the season! The animal care team works with the volunteers to determine when and what they would like to harvest for the animals at the Zoo.

“This is an enjoyable and exciting team project in which volunteers, animal nutrition and animal care staff are all working together to grow, harvest, distribute and use all this great, home-grown food for various animals throughout the Zoo,” said Dr. Charlene Berkvens, Director of Animal Health & Nutrition at the Zoo. “Even the sustainability team is involved in composting portions of it.”

In the garden's inaugural year, the team was focused on growing turnips, borage, squash, beets, mint, basil, dill, thyme, marigold, calendula, viola, pansy, and cilantro to meet the needs of the animal care team.

“I have been amazed how much the gardens have produced from these few beds,” said Laverne, one of the Master Gardener Volunteers. “We love to grow so this allows us to do something really valuable and provide for the animals at the Zoo.”

Tortoises, turtles, Prevost's squirrels, bats, iguanas, piping guans, gibbons, monkeys, and the kinkajou are among the lucky beneficiaries of this bountiful harvest so far! The garden's offerings nourish their bodies and stimulate their natural instincts. Through daily enrichment, like new smells, different feeders, and special foods, the animals at the Zoo are presented with opportunities to exhibit natural behaviours like foraging, exploration, play, and problem-solving! Enrichment is a key care component, encouraging animals to demonstrate their natural species-specific behaviours.

In addition to benefiting the Zoo's residents, the garden is also a sanctuary for local butterflies, such as swallowtails and bees. The Richardson ground squirrels may steal a bite to eat as well. 

The Volunteer Enrichment Garden is a fantastic outcome of collaboration, supporting the nourishment and enrichment of the Zoo's residents and supporting the Park’s native pollinators! 

Take a look at the garden next time you pass the Volunteer Centre in the Zoo and think about how you can supplement your own diet with homegrown food!

Laverne, one of the Master Gardener Volunteers