Strolling through the zoo on a sunny day, viewing animals and maybe even interacting with them can be a beautiful thing. However, if that’s all that zoos were – museums of living things – it would be easy to debate the necessity of their existence. Productive zoos don’t just provide a great viewing experience. They also are also involved in conservation efforts and the overall well-being of the animals.
Lincoln Park joins six other zoos as certified arboretums. The others are Brookfield Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, Naples Zoo, Palm Beach Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, and the San Diego Zoo.
In addition, some zoos are registered arboretums. Zoos must apply to become arboretums. Zoos are then subject to a certification review process. ArbNet is an organization that recognizes facilities as arboretums based on a set list of criteria. Recently, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago became a certified level-2 arboretum. According to ArbNet’s website, there are five levels of being an arboretum, with Level V being the most advanced. A Level II arboretum requires a minimum of 100 species. It also requires a full-time dedicated person to the care taking of these species, among other things.
That number might seem low, as zoos typically have floral displays everywhere. But despite the low correlation between zoos and arboretums, many zoos are adjacent to botanical gardens, keeping the connection between plants and animals alive.
Thank you for reading about Zoos becoming arboretums. For more information on the Lincoln Park Zoo and other Zoos, check out our Zoo Information Guide.
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