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Wednesday, June 12, 2002 Wieland donates bamboo for pandasJohn Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods is donating the large growth of bamboo discovered at the site of its new Centannial neighborhood in Peachtree City to Zoo Atlanta. The bamboo will not only benefit the zoo's famous giant pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang but the zoo's elephant community as well. Wieland region president Ed Woodland contacted Zoo Atlanta upon discovering the bamboo to inquire whether this particular bamboo would be suitable for the animals' needs. Covering nearly three acres, Centennial's bamboo was inspected by Zoo Atlanta to determine if it were the correct species to be included in the pandas' diet, and it was discovered that this harvest would feed not only the pandas, but also contribute to the diet of Zoo Atlanta's elephants. The bamboo will be harvested slowly, a small amount at a time, by Zoo personnel and then specially wrapped and stored for no more than two to three days as the pandas require freshly harvested bamboo. About 96 percent of Lun Lun and Yang Yang's diet at Zoo Atlanta consists of bamboo, and the zoo offers them 200-300 pounds of it daily. To meet this need for bamboo, the zoo relies on donations of bamboo from private individuals as well as commercial and governmental sources. Since Lun Lun and Yang Yang's tastes change every three to four months, the Commissary staff at Zoo Atlanta must continually secure new harvesting sites. Centennial, one of Wieland's newest Peachtree City neighborhoods, is located off Ga. Highway 54 just west of Ga. Highway 74 and offers a variety of neo-traditional homestyles with prices starting in the high $100s. For more information on Centennial, contact neighborhood sales manager Ruth Barnes at 770-632-9290 or visit www.jwhomes.com. For more on the giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta or a bamboo donation, contact Megan Winokur at 404-624-2805.
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