Kid Territory: Jobs: Managing Plant Collections
Plant managers sometimes travel to foreign places to collect wild specimens.
The health and well-being of the plants at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park is the responsibility of our horticulturists, who like to take a hands-on approach.
The horticulturists supervise the planting and care of the Zoo and Park’s diverse plant collections and gardens.
What we do
We are branch managers! (That’s tree humor, but it’s true.) We keep plant records, we raise plants in our nursery, we supervise the tree crews and the gardeners, and much more. We study the numbers, health, and diversity of the plant populations at the San Diego Zoo and at the Wild Animal Park. We also work with architects, garden clubs, and research communities to improve the botanical aspects of our world.
What’s cool about this job
Sharing the information we learn with others is a special part of our job. We write articles for ZOONOOZ® (the magazine for Zoo members), give lectures to the professional community, and teach at local colleges. Being involved in other departments’ projects to help animals and plants is another aspect of the job that makes it a great one!
Job challenges
The challenge is to make people aware that plant material is a very important part of our world and cannot be taken for granted. Without plants, the world would be a sorry place! It’s a never-ending battle to get that point across.
How this job helps animals
Everything connects with plants. Trees are an anchor between the earth and sky. Everything relies on them for food and shelter. Managing the plants at the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park is a very specialized job—we have to make sure they benefit both the animals and the visitors. "Functional landscaping" gives us the ability to use plants for food or as barriers to keep people and animals safe from each other, and gives the visitors a chance to experience and appreciate the botanical world.
How to get a job like this
Getting a job at a zoological garden is going to be harder in the future as the requirements and competition increase. In some cases, a doctorate degree may be required for a director of gardens or curator position. The best thing you can do is to get plant experience, whether it be in private industry or a public garden. Formal education is good, but the thing we always look for when hiring someone is practical experience. There are things you learn in the field that just cannot be taught in the classroom. You need to feel the soil between your fingers—if it feels right, you will never call it "dirt" again!
