World War Zoo gardens

The project investigates the similarities through creating an allotment of how zoos and people will deal with future resource shortages such as peak oil, food miles, climate change, sustainability, composting and recycling compared with the original wartime resource shortages of fuel rationing, food rationing and government salvage drives in many countries around the world.

Food grown on the plot is used for animal feeding and scent enrichment, something also practised on a large scale in the market garden at Durrell Wildlife Park and the Verti-Crop [1] automated hydroponics polytunnel at Paignton Zoo.

A similar comparative study project of learning lessons for climate change, peak oil, food and fuel security and resource shortage from the 1940s, known as "The New Home Front" has been set up in 2011 by UK Green Party MP Carolyn Lucas.

[8] To coincide with the 1914 centenary, the remit of our research has extended to the impact of World War I on zoos and their associated botanic gardens.

Zoos and gardens saw many of their male staff enlist or conscripted into the armed forces or munitions work, with many casualties.

The Belle Vue zoo staff war memorial in Gorton Cemetery in Manchester is now badly damaged.

[18][19] Zoological collections struggled with shortages, rationing and restrictions on everything from fuel and food to building materials for repairs such as glass.

Many of the wartime gardening publications and also cookery books by famous chefs such as Marguerite Patten have been used to research varieties and food uses at the time.