An aerial rendering of Daegu Grand Park. [Daegu Urban Development Corp.]
An aerial rendering of Daegu Grand Park. [Daegu Urban Development Corp.]

Daegu Urban Development Corp. said Wednesday it has established a southern tree species test plantation at the Daegu Grand Park Zoo construction site in Samdok-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu, and begun monitoring the trees' performance.

To proactively address climate change — including rising average temperatures — and build a green foundation suited to future ecological conditions, the corporation selected 85 trees across 17 southern-climate species for the trial planting. Species include ilex rotunda, ilex integra, loquat and machilus thunbergii.

Researchers will observe and analyze the trees' cold hardiness, adaptability and survival rates over winter before making a final selection of species best suited to the Daegu environment. The results will be incorporated into the park's landscaping work.

Based on the monitoring findings, the corporation plans to identify the optimal species for the park's major open-air animal enclosures — including the Welcome Zone, Green Valley and Blue Valley — as well as its green spaces, and apply them to full-scale landscaping.

The Daegu Grand Park development project carries a total budget of 1.5 trillion won ($1.02 billion) and will dedicate roughly 83 percent of the entire site to green and recreational spaces for residents, including a zoo and forest sports facilities. The corporation is pushing ahead with the project on schedule, targeting a zoo opening in May 2028.

"The environment in which animals can live healthy lives is determined from the planting stage," said Jeong Myeong-seop, president of Daegu Urban Development Corp. "Our goal is to develop Daegu Grand Park not merely as a zoo, but as an ecological park where visitors can experience diverse vegetation and nature together."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com