Turtle Maze at Bristol Zoo Nominated for National Award

By Lucy Parkinson

Bristol, UK - A new, turtle themed maze at Bristol Zoo Gardens has been short listed for a national professional gardening award.

The maze, which was designed and built by the Zoo’s team of gardening experts, is a finalist in the Horticulture Week Landscape and Amenity Awards in the ‘Best Playscheme’ category.

Created on the Zoo’s West lawn using willow hedging, sunflowers and a mix of wild flowers and grasses, the turtle shaped maze opened in May to celebrate Darwin’s bicentenary year.

Head of horticulture at Bristol Zoo, Eddie Mole, said: “We are delighted to be short listed for such a prestigious award and feel honored as our category received a record level of entries this year.”

He added: “The child-friendly maze has proved extremely popular with young children as it allows them to explore on their own with out the daunting presence of a ‘grown-up’ size maze.”

The Zoo’s gardening team designed the maze with a ‘survival of the fittest’ theme. They researched designs and decided on a turtle shape.

To complete the maze visitors have to reach the centre, avoiding the ‘dead ends’ which represent obstacles to a turtle’s survival, such as sharks, seagulls, turtle parasites and tidal waves.

Initially the maze was intended to remain in place for two years but, due to its success and popularity with visitors, the Zoo now plans to keep the maze for the foreseeable future.

Eddie added: “By using natural materials and native plants we hope to enhance the biodiversity of the site. We hope the turtle maze will impress and give joy to thousands of visitors over the coming few years.”

The winners of the Horticulture Week Landscape and Amenity Awards will be announced on November 3, at a ceremony at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.

To find out more about visiting Bristol Zoo, visit www.bristolzoo.or.uk  or phone 0117 974 7399.

Notes:

· Turtles have lived on our planet for over 200 million years; longer than crocodiles and snakes.

· They have been true survivors, outliving other reptile groups such as dinosaurs.

· Only one out of every 1,000 turtles hatched will survive to adulthood and get a chance to lay their eggs.

· Bristol Zoo Gardens is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day.

· The Zoo is an Education and Conservation Charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work.

· The Zoo is involved with over one hundred co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species.

· It employs 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work.

· Bristol Zoo Gardens supports – through finance and skill sharing - over 10 projects in the UK and abroad that conserve and protect some of the world’s most endangered species.

· Bristol Zoo Gardens is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.

To view Bristol Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-719-Bristol_Zoo_Gardens