18 • The Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Spring 2016
GARDEN TALK
TWO GREEN
THUMBS UP!
D
o you like spend your
“thyme” gardening? Have a
“green thumb”?
Spring is just around the corner
and you might really “dig” the
Louisville Zoo’s Adopt-A-Garden
Program! The Louisville Zoo’s
Horticulture Department is welcoming
volunteer garden enthusiasts to
participate in the care of our inviting
and inspiring park-like setting.
Participating in the Adopt-AGarden program is the perfect way
for experienced gardeners to “branch
out” and earn some bragging rights
by caring for an accredited botanical
garden! Are you ready to spread
your roots to a larger area? By
volunteering, you can display your
gardening prowess to over 800,000
guests who visit the Louisville Zoo
each year!
Individuals, families, and groups
(ages 18+) may adopt a specific,
pre-determined garden site. A sign
at each site will display the Adopt-AGarden name or group name of the
volunteer(s) caring for it.
If you are interested in
participating, you must attend an
orientation session to learn all the
necessary details about the AdoptA-Garden program on Saturday,
March 12, 2016 from 9 – 11 a.m. in
the ZooVision conference room at the
Louisville Zoo. See more information
online at Louisvillezoo.
org/events. Our Horticulture
Department Supervisor, William Nay,
and our Volunteer Coordinator, Diane
Taylor, look forward to getting you
started.
Following orientation, participants
must submit a gardening plan
proposal for their area to the
Horticulture Department Supervisor
for review and approval prior to
beginning work at the site. Plan
evaluation will be based on factors
such as plant characteristics and
growth requirements, growing
conditions such as sun/shade, possible
toxicity to animals, invasiveness, etc.
The participants will be responsible
for maintenance of their site
throughout the growing season,
as well as spring and autumn bed
cleanup. The Zoo will provide water
hoses and sprinklers, but participants
will need to bring their own
gardening tools.
Adopt-A-Garden Volunteers receive
a discount for purchasing plants
from Frank Otte Nursery and Garden
Center at select store locations.
The cost of the plants may be tax
deductible.
242
adopt
a garden
LOUISVILLE ZOO
Louisville Rose Society
This program runs from
March through November of
2016. Please keep in mind, this is a
program for experienced gardeners
that can lend their expertise in the
beautification of the park — no
formal training is provided.
For additional information and
to R.S.V.P. for the orientation,
please contact Diane Taylor,
Coordinator of Volunteers, at
[email protected].
For other volunteer opportunities
at the Louisville Zoo, visit
louisvillezoo.org/volunteer
Thanks for your support!