The City of Calgary is branching out in its management of the city’s forest canopy in a new habitat partnership with the Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo.
Thousands of kilograms of trees and branches removed as part of Calgary’s urban forest maintenance program are now being used at the zoo as forage, food, and fun.
According to the City of Calgary, the tree removals and the pruning is all done as part of the proactive management of safety risks for dead and dying trees around the city. Rather than going into compost, they sought out a second life for the wood and leaves.
“The urban forest plays an important role in Calgary’s quality of life. This partnership shows how we can continue generating value even after a tree’s lifecycle has ended,” said Wayne Driscoll, urban forestry superintendent with Calgary Parks and Open Spaces.
“By connecting City operations with community partners like The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo, we are advancing sustainability, reducing waste, and creating meaningful benefits for both people and animals.”
Calgary zoo volunteers helped to strip branches of leaves, bag the woody material, leaves and seeds, cut and sort the smaller branches and move materials to a place where they could be transported.
The Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo collected 304, 6-to-7-kilogram bags of browse (food), 10, 16-22 kg barrels of wood materials, 1.5 truckloads of bagged branches, and several large logs that will be used for animal habitats.
“We’re always excited to receive wood like this because it gives us new opportunities to enrich the lives of the animals in our care,” said Katharine Varzé, Horticulture Manager with the Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo.
“Whether it’s fresh browse for animals to eat or larger logs that become part of their habitats, there are lots of ways we can put this material to use. It’s pretty special to see trees from Calgary’s urban forest find a second life here at the zoo.”
Calgary Parks is also working with the zoo to provide removed caragana plants as potential food for the resident giraffes.
