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Contribute to The Toledo Zoo's Conservation Today fund

What You Can Do

Green Tips and other useful information

Kids for Conservation

Toledo Zoo Conservation Projects

Conservation Education at The Toledo Zoo

Species Survival Plans

American Association of Zoo Keepers

Help your favorite zoo animal by becoming a Zoo PAL

Support The Toledo Zoo with various donations

 

 

Green Practices at The Toledo Zoo

 

Energy Management/Energy Conservation Initiatives

wind turbine

  • Installation of a wind turbine at the main parking lot entrance to generate power for the parking lot booths (seen above)
     
  • Energy savings and feasibility study for the Zoo campus using combined heat and power co-generation equipment
     
  • Electric Peak Shaving Initiative
    · Energy Management and Conservation Group (EMCG) to study ways to manage and control our energy usage.
    · Electric peak shaving program for Arctic chiller operations. Zoo wide Power Monitoring/Load Shed program.
    · Zoo now has the capability to shed electric load automatically during periods of high use.
     
  • Building Automation System to monitor and control HVAC equipment in nearly fifty percent of our buildings.
     
  • Majority of exterior site lighting, including Lights Before Christmas is connected to a software based management system allowing the Zoo to control lighting operation times.
     
  • Master Plan 2020 incorporates a campus Ecology Strategy to make the Zoo a more sustainable and energy efficient facility
     
  • Pursuing an option in Masterplan 2020 to replace the aging boilers within the Aquarium and Greenhouse with combined heat and power co-generation equipment.
     

Zoo keepers reuse these items for animal enrichment:

  • Shredded office paper for bedding
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Fire hose
  • Plastic buckets, yogurt cups
  • 55 gallon barrels
  • Cardboard tubes/Carpet tubes
  • Perfumes and colognes
  • Sheets and towels for orangutan bedding
  • Phone books
  • Feed bags
  • Oatmeal canisters

polar bear

Paper Reduction

  • Employees encouraged to print and copy 2-sided
  • Many employees have changed margins on Microsoft Word to 1 inch
  • Zoo wide memos now emailed
  • Intranet developed for information exchange
  • Catalog reduction: volunteers calling to remove duplicates from mailing lists
  • Catalog/magazine recycling
  • Office paper is shredded to be used as bedding for primates
  • Zoo maps are recycled

Vehicle Idling
Zoo has reduced vehicle idling. Employees turn cars and trucks off when leaving a vehicle. Stickers were placed on steering wheels to remind staff to turn vehicles off.

Styrofoam reduction

  • Zoo plate special in Employee Kitchen.
  • Changed from Styrofoam to more environmentally friendly cups and plates in the concessions areas
  • Employees given coffee mugs to use
  • As of Summer 2006, lemonade cups will be made from corn product that degrades in the landfill
  • Refill cups have coupons to encourage people to reuse them rather than buy drinks in disposable cups

Light bulbs

  • Have changed many of our lights to compact fluorescent bulbs that use less energy than regular incandescent.
  • Christmas lights are being replaced with LED lights that use 90% less energy

Green cleaners

  • Have changed many of our cleaners and chemicals to environmentally friendly products that carry the green seal.
  • Investigating new lines of green chemicals with the Green Seal

New employee training on conservation practices

  • Written in part-time employee handbook

Environmental

  • Shade-grown coffee in bakery
  • Shopping bags will soon be sold in gift shop to reduce plastic bag consumption
  • Zoo Teens:multiple outreach conservation projects in the region
  • Purchasing sustainable seafood for catered events
  • Use of recycled materials in construction projects, such as Nature's Neighborhood
  • Careful selection of eco-friendly materials for construction and maintenance

KC and Crew

  • Party in a Box featuring reusable dishes, silverware, etc.
  • Characters out in the community promoting recycling, etc.
  • Working with KLCB to promote the curbside recycling program
General Recycling
Cardboard Motor oil Plastic Batteries Glass
Aluminum Solvents Steel Paper Paint
Cell phones Cooking oil Elephant Manure   Trees
Branches Leaves Annual plant material  

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