Woodland Park Zoo has won top education and environmental sustainability awards from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the accrediting organization for more than 200 zoos and aquariums in North America. The awards were presented last week at AZA’s annual conference in Atlanta.
Woodland Park Zoo won this year’s top education award for its “Ready, Set, Discover” program. It is the fourth AZA education award won by the Seattle zoo and the first time it has garnered “best in education” from AZA.
The zoo also picked up the Green Significant Achievement Award for its comprehensive sustainability program. It is the first time AZA has presented awards for sustainability.
Ready, Set, Discover engages 4th and 5th graders from low-income schools, primarily Kent School District, in inquiry-based science learning to improve science skills and to foster stewardship of the environment. Over a two-year period, students participate in seven Ready, Set, Discover experiences designed to bring nature-based science into their classrooms, to bring the students out into nature for field research, and to connect students with nature at Woodland Park Zoo.
Woodland Park Zoo earned AZA’s inaugural Green Award for serving as an industry leader in sustainable operations. Using a data-driven approach, the zoo has formally adopted a sustainability plan focused on reducing zoo greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below 1999 levels by 2012 and 20 percent by 2020.
Through public and private partnerships, the zoo’s sustainability projects include Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the zoo’s West Entrance and LEED Gold for Zoomazium, an indoor nature play space. The award-winning, sustainably built Humboldt penguin exhibit uses geothermal energy and an innovative filtration system that saves 3 million gallons of water and nearly 22,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year.
The zoo’s “Green Team” leads the zoo’s conservation efforts by pursuing, supporting, promoting and encouraging sustainable daily practices. Continued efforts to advance the zoo’s sustainable resource use include increasing renewable and efficient energy on zoo grounds, encouraging green transportation options to the zoo, reducing storm water runoff and water waste, committing to organic horticultural practices, expanding composting and recycling efforts including the Zoo Doo compost program, and educating zoo visitors on sustainable options at home.
To learn more about its education and sustainability practices, visit www.zoo.org.
