Page 28 - April 2016 Life In Naples Magazine

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PHOTO BY DIEDRE LEOWINAAT“LAIV/AINFRGICWAANLLP”ENOEPALER &AWMAILADSLAIFIEHFOUNMDE..
RNaples Zoo Director of Conservation
ecently, Naples Zoo reached a milestone of funding the planting
of over half a million trees in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Thinking about trees, I recalled reading my daughter The Lorax
years ago and reflecting on how some of the simplest lessons can
be the hardest to put into practice. Dr. Seuss illustrated the connectedness of
trees and wildlife and our dependence on the natural order. He also left us
with the challenge to care. Below are a few examples of some of the steadfast
people associated with Naples Zoo who are doing the hard work of putting
those lessons into practice – and speaking for the trees.

PLANTING CHANGE

Let’s start with those half million trees.In 2009,Naples Zoo began funding
Trees for the Future, a nonprofit begun by Dave and Grace Deppner after
their experiences planting trees to reverse the impact of illegal logging and
unsustainable land management while volunteering in the Philippines.While
Dave passed away in 2011, these coordinated and monitored tree projects
continue to expand enabling communities to restore their environment, grow
more food, and build a sustainable future from what was once wasteland –
good news for both people and wildlife.

CARING FOR THE AGED AND LOST

With a botanical garden dating back to 1919, many of Naples Zoo’s
aging historic specimens require specialized attention. To give that TLC to
the trees, Naples Zoo’s Director of Gardens and Grounds Danielle L. Green
brings not only her own experience, but has built an internal team in concert
with a network of professional arborists to nurture these giants while also
caring for and expanding the other plantings, hundreds of which you can
find labeled along the walking paths. Beyond Naples, Danielle serves as
president of the Association of Zoological Horticulture and assists on orchid
restoration work in South Florida. Her botanical connections also enabled
Naples Zoo to get engaged in funding a collaborative effort headed up by
Atlanta Botanical Garden that plans to restore four orchid species that were
lost in Florida, but still remain in Cuba.

BIRD LOVERS UNKNOWINGLY HURT BIRDS

Many birders who lament the loss of bird populations may be unknowingly
contributing to that decline. The issue is coffee. The average cup we drink
comes from beans grown in the sun on clear-cut farms that once provided
forest homes to local wildlife and those traveling birds.The solution is shade-
grown coffee, but be careful. The marketing language on a bag of coffee can
give one impression, while reality can be another. Even some certifications
only guarantee 30 percent of the coffee in the bag is actually shade grown.To
allow bird lovers and others to truly make a difference, Dr. Robert Rice co-

28 Life in Naples | April 2016