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Category: AIYI

5/26/21

Stand Tall for Giraffes

Did you know the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, is this month? This is why we celebrate the tallest land mammal in the world on June 21—World Giraffe Day! A baby giraffe is almost 7 feet tall at birth, and an adult giraffe can be over 16 feet tall. Here at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, we currently have nine reticulated giraffes. Six of them are females and the other three are males. Reticulated giraffes get their name from the large polygonal, rust-colored spots... Read More
at 5/26/21
AIYI
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5/26/21

Gardening "Florida-friendly" Around Water

In Florida, it’s no secret that many of us have yards that back up to retention ponds, waterways, or have low spots that never seem to drain. Instead of forcing grass to grow in these hard-to-manage areas, why not create a garden bed using plants that like the extra water and require less maintenance and chemicals? Garden beds at the edge of the water not only enhance the aesthetics of your yard, but also are extremely beneficial to the environment and wildlife. If your yard is at the... Read More
at 5/26/21
Horticulture AIYI
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Gardening for Pollinators

Pollinators are a very important part of our world. Without pollinators, many of our fruits and seeds would never be produced. Honeybees alone pollinate over $15 billion worth of crops each year. These industrious little workers help provide us with apples, blueberries, avocados, almonds, and many other food crops.  However, honeybees aren’t our only pollinators. Birds, bats, butterflies, beetles, and moths are some of the other garden workers that pollinate over 80% of the... Read More
AIYI
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Pink Flamingo Day

May is a special month for some of our birds here at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. While International Flamingo Day was on April 26, we also celebrate Pink Flamingo Day on May 29. Pink Flamingo Day is typically a day to display those notorious pink flamingo yard ornaments, but we like to celebrate by sharing some fun facts about these special birds. There are six different species of flamingos in the world, and here at the Zoo you can find two of them: Caribbean flamingos and greater... Read More
AIYI
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