Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
An Innovative Partnership
Power line prunings become herbivore salad
Elephants, giraffes, and many other animals at the Zoo regard tree branches the way you might regard a salad—a delectable dose of plant-based nutrition. These herbivores, or plant eaters, browse branches, eat leaves, and chew soft shoots. To satisfy their taste for tree trimmings, the Zoo serves up hundreds of pounds of browse weekly.
Until recently, purchasing browse cost the Zoo thousands of dollars per week. Now the Zoo gets its browse for free, thanks to an innovative partnership with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), the state's largest natural gas and electric utility.
To provide customers with reliable electric service, BGE regularly trims trees growing near overhead power lines. Clippings from some of those trees, including tulip poplar, beech, and mulberry, make perfect browse for Zoo animals. In the field, BGE crews now identify diet-appropriate trees and bundle and deliver fresh trimmings to the Zoo.
The Zoo is grateful to BGE for its valuable support. What might have been mulch is now on the Zoo menu!
Erected by The Maryland Zoo.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Charity & Public Work
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Location. 39° 19.436′ N, 76° 38.508′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Druid Hill Park. Marker is on Elephant Landing west of Elephant Overlook, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Elephant Landing, Baltimore MD 21211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. African Savannah Elephant (within shouting distance of this marker); Living with Elephants (within shouting distance of this marker); Tipping the Balance (within shouting distance of this marker); Family Matters (within shouting distance of this marker); Saving Okapi (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ghosts of the forest (about 400 feet away); Living with Cheetahs (about 500 feet away); American Tennis Association, Inc. (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 65 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 11, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
