When horticulturists at the Arnold Arboretum cut down a tree or clip back bushes during regular maintenance, those trimmings never go to waste. They can be chipped for mulch, composted, repurposed as commemorative benches or even shared with local craftspeople for wood turning. Perhaps the most surprising way leafy cast offs are given new life is as a tasty snack for giraffes and other animals just down the street at Franklin Park Zoo.   

"As part of their regular diet, many of the animals at the zoo receive fresh-cut browse, which is what we call leafy branches with woody stems,” explained Brianne Walker, Horticulture Supervisor at Franklin Park Zoo. “We're incredibly lucky to have a partnership with the Arnold Arboretum, who generously offer us access to brush that feeds our animals, including giraffes, nyala, tapirs and gorillas.” 

The three-year-old partnership between Franklin Park Zoo and the Arnold Arboretum supports this mission. Zoo New England provided the horticulturists at the Arboretum with a list of plants that are safe and tasty for the animals to eat, including honey locust, linden, grapevine, knotweed, viburnum and hawthorn. When there are suitable forage plants clipped at the Arboretum, the team calls its counterparts at the Zoo, who drive over to collect browse that might be needed by the Animal Care team. 

“Being able to share our browse with the zoo is just one small way we take advantage of the entire life cycle of our plants and put them to good use,” said Brendan Keegan, Horticulturist at the Arnold Arboretum. “We care deeply about our relationships with the community and neighboring institutions, and we are proud to be able to support our neighbors — human and animals.” 

Every animal’s diet at the zoo is carefully tailored to address the nutritional, physical and social needs of each species. Fresh browse is an important component of that diet, adding variety as well as encouraging natural foraging behaviors. In their efforts to provide the best possible care for the animals, members of the Animal Care and Horticulture teams at Franklin Park Zoo work throughout the summer to collect browse that the animals can enjoy all year round. The staff freeze more than 300 bags of browse to use during the colder months, including some plant material from the Arnold Arboretum.  

“We’re incredibly grateful for this partnership with the Arboretum. They supply species of plants that are not found on zoo grounds or are very slow growing,” said Nicole Hellmuth, a Senior Keeper at Franklin Park Zoo. “Their donations let us offer larger quantities along with new tastes and tactile experiences for animals, like thorny branches similar to what giraffes have evolved to eat. It's been fun for the keepers to see what the animals like and don't like too.In general, we’ve found that most animals aren't picky when it comes to fresh woody branches!”