Gardening
for Gorillas
Trials, tricks and triumphs
of a zoo horticulturalist
Stephen Butler
Gardening
for Gorillas
Trials, tricks and triumphs
of a zoo horticulturalist
Stephen Butler
Introduction by Jane Powers
How to Purchase
Irish Customers
For those resident in Ireland, the book can also be purchased via Dublin Zoo. It can be purchased in person in the Dublin Zoo gift shop, or from the Dublin zoo website. https://dublinzoo.ie
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UK Customers
Copies can be ordered from the Independent Zoo Enthusiasts Society in the UK, please check their website. https://izes.co.uk
European Customers
Copies can be ordered from Klaus Schueling, please check his website www.buchkurier.de
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Direct Purchase
The book can be purchased directly from the author Stephen Butler by clicking here. The cost is €35 and postal charges will apply.
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To minimise postage costs please consider purchasing multiple copies to distribute locally. Postage is often much better value for multiple books, for example:
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1 copy to Europe is €15/€17.50, but 2-4 copies is €23/€45 (depending on country)
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1 copy to the USA is €27, 2 is €57, 3 is €60
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Please contact Stephen via gardeningforgorillas@gmail.com for more information.
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About the Book
During the author's 37 years as Curator of Horticulture, Dublin Zoo transformed from an almost Victorian appearance to a verdant green ark. A progressive masterplan focused on animal welfare and themed habitats reflects the spirit of the animals’ natural homelands. Plants have been instrumental in achieving that, for the visitors, and the animals. A well planted habitat gives shade, shelter, and natural enrichment for the animals, all increasing health and wellbeing. Choosing the right plants to survive is key!
Stories of animal interactions with the plants, and insights into the creative thinking well outside of the box of normal horticultural endeavour, make for an entertaining read. But it’s not just purely gardening. The last chapter details many educational stories about plants, their names, their history, their origins, or their interesting and unusual botanical points, especially any animal connections. There is something for everyone in these pages, irrespective of their gardening expertise.
Introduction, Reviews
& Reader's Comments
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Tiergarten Magazine
In the 37 years that Stephen Butler was curator of the gardens at Dublin Zoo, it transformed from an almost Victorian appearance to a verdant ark.
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DR KLAUS SCHULING
Author
Tiergarten
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Reader's Comment
Gardening for gorillas has set the stage for a new area of literature regarding the field of zoo horticulture, it is hoped that this book will encourage more work of this nature as it is truly a fascinating subject.
JUDE LAMPH,
Keeper
Peak Wildlife Park
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Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland, Autumn Journal 2022
Not every gardener must accommodate tigers, meerkats, and giraffes. This book is an insight into Stephen Butler’s special world.
MARY HACKETT,
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland,
The Journal Autumn 2020
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Zoo Grapevine &
International Zoo News
If I were starting a zoo or held a directorship at one (we can all dream!), this book would be amongst the first I would put on my shelf – because I’d want my zoo to be a zoological garden.
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TIM BROWN,
Zoo Grapevine & International Zoo News
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Irish Times
Gardening for Gorillas.. ..is a fascinating record of the 37 years he spent transforming what was a botanically dull and uninspiring landscape into a series of beautifully planted spaces,
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FIONNUALA FALLON, Irish Times contributor specialising in gardening.
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Irish Times
Another Life: Plants and animals in a constant state of war. A fascinating book by Dublin Zoo’s head gardener explores his efforts to make animal environments more authentic.
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MICHAEL VINEY,
Irish Times contributor, broadcaster, film-maker and natural-history author.
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Stephen Butler has been an important figure in the gardening community for
decades. His knowledge is encyclopaedic, fuelled by a robust curiosity that drives
him to investigate the world of plants and horticulture from many angles. Read more
JANE POWERS,
Garden & Nature Writer
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It is time for those of us who complain about our garden pests, slugs and snails, greenfly, blackfly and aphids in general, vine weevils, leatherjackets, rabbits, foxes and badgers, even pigeons and pheasants to put things into some perspective... Read more
PADDY TOBIN,
Book Reviewer for
The Irish Garden Plant Society
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This legacy of Stephen Butler‘s longterm work for Dublin Zoo is the first book about zoo ecology and condensed wisdom about zoo horticulture, particularly in climatic areas similar to Ireland. With his distinct style and sense of humour... Read more
MONIKA FIBY,
Chief Editor, Founder, & Manager of
ZooLex Design Organisation
Book Extracts
Gorilla Rainforest
The day finally arrived to allow the gorillas access to their new habitat. This was planned... Read more
Orangutan Forest
One of the best plants within the habitat has been globe artichoke Cynara cardunculus, a massive plant... Read more
African Savanna
The second challenge was to hide parts of the 2m tall gabion wall at the back of the animal area... Read more
Education
Winter’s bark Drimys winteri is certainly full of toxins, warburganal and
polygodial... Read more
About the Author
Spanning 50 years, Stephen Butler's career has involved not just the world famous gardens at Hampton Court Palace, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, but also a few years in Bangladesh. Travel around that area, including Darjeeling in the foothills of the Himalaya, and Calcutta in the plains of the Ganges, certainly broadened the mind.
He has had a keen interest in gardening societies such as the Irish Garden Plant Society and the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. Equally, involvement with horticultural organisations such as the Professional Gardeners Guild and Plant Heritage in the UK has been productive. Zoo plant groups too benefitted from his energy and knowledge.
Images
CONTACT
For any inquiries, please contact the author at gardeningforgorillas@gmail.com