Comments on: Eucalyptus Babies http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/07/15/eucalyptus-babies/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:33:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Christy Powell http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/07/15/eucalyptus-babies/comment-page-1/#comment-461177 Christy Powell Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:22:55 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4943#comment-461177 Thanks for your questions, Lucas. I am not a woodworker and haven't worked with Eucalyptus lumber personally, but from what I understand, Eucalyptus wood is harder to work than other woods and has irregular grain. It also depends on the species of Eucalyptus. Some is as soft as pine wood, while other species are very hard. We had a Eucalyptus removed from my house, and we gave some wood to a person that makes bowls out of it. Eucalyptus wood is a decent firewood and burns well once dried. The remaining portion of the Eucalyptus tree we had removed was picked up for firewood. "The Eucalyptus in California" by Norman Day Ingham, Agricultural Experiment Station publication from 1908, is an interesting publication discussing the history of Eucalyptus in California and the potential uses for it if you would like to read more. Thanks! Christy Powell Thanks for your questions, Lucas. I am not a woodworker and haven’t worked with Eucalyptus lumber personally, but from what I understand, Eucalyptus wood is harder to work than other woods and has irregular grain. It also depends on the species of Eucalyptus. Some is as soft as pine wood, while other species are very hard. We had a Eucalyptus removed from my house, and we gave some wood to a person that makes bowls out of it. Eucalyptus wood is a decent firewood and burns well once dried. The remaining portion of the Eucalyptus tree we had removed was picked up for firewood.

“The Eucalyptus in California” by Norman Day Ingham, Agricultural Experiment Station publication from 1908, is an interesting publication discussing the history of Eucalyptus in California and the potential uses for it if you would like to read more.

Thanks!
Christy Powell

]]> By: Lucas http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/07/15/eucalyptus-babies/comment-page-1/#comment-458676 Lucas Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:08:55 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4943#comment-458676 Does eucalyptus make for good lumber? I don't think I've ever seen a any furniture made out of this particicular trees. Also, would eucalyptus wood be a decent firewood? Does eucalyptus make for good lumber? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a any furniture made out of this particicular trees. Also, would eucalyptus wood be a decent firewood?

]]> By: David G. Signer http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/07/15/eucalyptus-babies/comment-page-1/#comment-457311 David G. Signer Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:49:43 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4943#comment-457311 Are all the species commonly known as eucalypti actually members of the genus <i>Eucalyptus</i>? If there are eucalypti from other genera, are any non-<i>Eucalyptus</i> species fodder for koalas? Are all the species commonly known as eucalypti actually members of the genus Eucalyptus?

If there are eucalypti from other genera, are any non-Eucalyptus species fodder for koalas?

]]> By: Christy Powell http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/07/15/eucalyptus-babies/comment-page-1/#comment-456728 Christy Powell Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:53:42 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4943#comment-456728 Hi Nancy, You're welcome! Thanks for your interest in our browse program at the Zoo. I talked with the Curator of Horticulture at the Zoo and he told me that the browse farm was started in 1971 and that next year was when fresh food began to be fed out to the animals. In the mid '70s he was working in the nursery and spent most of his time growing and raising up <em>Eucalyptus </em>for the browse program. He estimated that they had close to a million <em>Eucalyptus</em> seedlings growing at one time in the nursery. The pandas do enjoy 25 different types of bamboo and eat as much as 84 pounds of it a day! Other species we use for browse for the animals include <em>Acacia</em> for giraffes, <em>Hibiscus </em>and willow for primates, blackberry leaves for the insect house, and <em>Ficus</em> and bananas for the gorillas. There are eight full-time browse workers that collect the material and bring it to the keepers to feed out to the animals. There is always something new for me to learn working at the San Diego Zoo, and it is fun to share the botanical side of the Zoo with others. Hi Nancy,
You’re welcome! Thanks for your interest in our browse program at the Zoo. I talked with the Curator of Horticulture at the Zoo and he told me that the browse farm was started in 1971 and that next year was when fresh food began to be fed out to the animals. In the mid ’70s he was working in the nursery and spent most of his time growing and raising up Eucalyptus for the browse program. He estimated that they had close to a million Eucalyptus seedlings growing at one time in the nursery.

The pandas do enjoy 25 different types of bamboo and eat as much as 84 pounds of it a day! Other species we use for browse for the animals include Acacia for giraffes, Hibiscus and willow for primates, blackberry leaves for the insect house, and Ficus and bananas for the gorillas. There are eight full-time browse workers that collect the material and bring it to the keepers to feed out to the animals. There is always something new for me to learn working at the San Diego Zoo, and it is fun to share the botanical side of the Zoo with others.

]]> By: nancy from michigan http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/07/15/eucalyptus-babies/comment-page-1/#comment-456544 nancy from michigan Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:52:01 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4943#comment-456544 Christy, thanks for all the interesting information on growing eucalyptus leaves for the koalas. how many years ago did you start growing your own eucalyptus? I wouldn't think that it would take sooolong. wow! it's quite a process isn't it? SDZ is some remarkable zoo growing it's own food when possible for it's animals. I understand that several varieties of bamboo are also grown for the pandas. what other things are grown for the animals at your zoo? it is so nice that so much information is shared with everyone even though we are not staff, keepers, or zoo workers in other areas. but, non the less, we are interested zoo lovers and animal lovers who like to keep abreast of what's happening throughout the zoo in many different areas of expertise. thanks to these wonderful posts from everyone, we learn alot!! Christy, thanks for all the interesting information on growing eucalyptus leaves for the koalas. how many years ago did you start growing your own eucalyptus? I wouldn’t think that it would take sooolong.
wow! it’s quite a process isn’t it? SDZ is some remarkable zoo growing it’s own food when possible for it’s animals. I understand that several varieties of bamboo are also grown for the pandas. what other things are grown for the animals at your zoo? it is so nice that so much information is shared with everyone even though we are not staff, keepers, or zoo workers in other areas. but, non the less, we are interested zoo lovers and animal lovers who like to keep abreast of what’s happening throughout the zoo in many different areas of expertise. thanks to these wonderful posts from everyone, we learn alot!!

]]>