With summer in full swing, gardens throughout the Southeast are a simmering cornucopia of fresh veggies and fruits bound for salad bowls and grills. However, one surprising place to find a green thumbprint or two is beneath the glass peaks of the Tennessee Aquarium.
With campuses that can span hundreds of acres, zoos frequently raise and harvest plants on-site to supplement their animals’ diets, but a more-compact footprint means aquariums tend not to have this option.
Earlier this year, two horticulturists at the Tennessee Aquarium decided to do something to offset the expense of purchasing fruits and vegetables from wholesalers. Taking stock of the aquarium’s off-site greenhouse – as well as grow spaces tucked away beneath the buildings’ iconic glass peaks – they had a brainwave.
“We noticed the husbandry department was ordering a lot of produce, and we said, ‘We have all these facilities. Let’s try to grow some,’” says senior horticulturist Charlene Nash. “That way, it would be organic and fresh.”
The program began humbly in a collection of buckets placed in a corner under the peaks of the River Journey building. These initial hydroponic systems were planted with kale and various greens (mustard, collard and dandelion). After seeing initial success, Nash and horticulturist Austin Prater graduated to soil-filled pots and raised beds housed in a larger greenhouse at the aquarium’s off-site animal care facility.
“So far, it’s amazing. I harvest about a pound a week,” Nash says. “And when you’re talking about greens, a pound is a lot.”
Many of the fruits – and veggies – of their labor find their way into the hands of aquarists and animal care specialists. Some are placed in cold storage in the aquarium’s commercial-grade kitchens, where husbandry staff can access a supply of produce such as fresh-harvested greens, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and jiló (an eggplant popular in Brazil).
“We’ve been impressed with the volume of some of the produce we’ve gotten,’ Prater says. “I’ve never grown food for things other than myself, so producing quality food for our animals has been cool.”
There have been some unexpected beneficiaries of the gardening program.
In the River Journey building’s Flooded Amazon exhibit, aquarium guests can see enormous Pacu, a South American fish. These natives of the Amazon River can reach lengths of up to 3 feet and weigh more than 60 pounds. A generalist eater, Pacu will feast on almost anything that enters the water, including fruits and vegetables falling from overhanging branches.
Thanks to Nash and Prater, the aquarium’s Pacu have become connoisseurs of organic produce. Any cherry tomatoes or jilós tossed into the exhibit disappear practically the moment they touch the water’s surface.
About once a week, Nash or Prater make special deliveries of greens to the specialists who care for the shelled and furry residents of the aquarium’s Lemur Forest exhibit.
In Madagascar, vegetation tends to have lower sugar content due to its comparatively nutrient-poor soil. At the aquarium, Red-collared Brown, Red-ruffed and Ring-tailed Lemurs have developed a fondness for the romaine lettuce their caretakers order. Despite being a vegetable, this favorite of salad lovers has even higher sugar content than Malagasy fruits thanks to growing in North America’s rich soil.
Romaine is a vital line item on the aquarium’s dietary budget. However, when it comes to pure nutritional value, nothing beats straight-from-the-greenhouse offerings like the ones Nash and Prater bring by, says senior animal care specialist Maggie Sipe.
“The Radiated Tortoises especially appreciate it. They go kind of crazy for these fresh greens, which is great to see since they’re higher in the calcium and other nutrients they really need.”
Much pickier eaters, the lemurs sometimes turn their noses up at new greenery, but there’s a benefit to introducing them to new options, even when they don’t eat it.
“Having variation in their diets is part of what keeps them healthy and keeps things interesting for them,” Sipe explains.
These gardening efforts also chip away at the substantial costs incurred yearly to feed the more than 11,000 animals that comprise the aquarium’s living collection. In 2022, the aquarium’s grocery bill totaled $185,000.
Despite the cost savings and nutritional benefits, not all aquariums are equipped to undertake an in-house gardening program like the Tennessee Aquarium’s.
Since opening in 1992, the Tennessee Aquarium has emphasized using location-appropriate vegetation as scene-setting in its many animal habitats. The logistics of maintaining such a wide variety of plants required not only sufficient grow facilities but maintaining a dedicated staff of horticulturists.