Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications
We are officially knee deep in autumn
with wind storms and red cups gone wild, darker evenings and Seattleites
covered in fleece head to toe. But, not all is dark and dreary! Woodland Park Zoo’s lush canopy, made up of
more than 1,000 different species of plants, is ablaze with autumn’s finest
colors.
Autumn is the perfect time to stroll
the zoo and appreciate an essential part of Seattle’s urban forest. Come explore
the fall foliage and get to know a few trees along the way. Start by
downloading our mobile app and use the Tree
Tour to explore some of the signature trees
around the zoo. Watch them transform the exhibits, as well as our own
environment, into a golden autumn dreamscape.
Not only do our zoo animals use the
trees for shade, climbing and sometimes food, dozens of native and migratory
animal species also come through the zoo to find shelter and feed from our
canopy.
Here are a few of our favorite fall
finds:
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This
is Arbutus unido, which is native to
the Mediterranean and has a beautiful fall berry. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/
Woodland Park Zoo.
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Witch Hazel, sometimes called winterbloom, lights up the
trail near sloth bears. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Stranvaesia shows
off brilliant red foliage and festive berries. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Chokecherry, Persian ironwood and sweet gum tree flank the
trail near the carousel, offering a bounty of autumn color. Photo by Ryan Hawk/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Red
flowering quince, Chaenomeles speciosa, drape across the hippo pool. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Spirea offer
cascading branches of gold and pink foliage.
Photo
by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Even tough little lion cub paws need some soft leaf stomping
once in a while. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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An early November sunrise at the zoo. Photo by
Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Come enjoy the leaves with us! Photo by Ryan Hawk/ Woodland
Park Zoo.
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Enkianthus, soaking
up all the colors of fall, is native to Asia, ranging from the Himalayas to
China and Japan. Photo
by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park Zoo.
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Magnolia leaves drape the ground in thick layers near the
Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. Some of the leaves are enormous! Photo by Kirsten Pisto/ Woodland Park
Zoo.
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It doesn’t get better than a giant pile of oak leaves! Photo by Kirsten Pisto/
Woodland Park Zoo.
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