Green Team

The Green Team is comprised of employees from every department of the Zoo who have volunteered to serve on this committee.

We are dedicated to making conservation a daily goal by implementing sustainable practices throughout the Zoo and educating the staff and public about environmentally friendly practices.

By working with the City of Little Rock and local non-profits and initiatives, the Green Team strives to keep Arkansas ‘the natural state.’

Sustainability is commonly defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Recycling

As an educational institution, the Little Rock Zoo has been practicing green activities for many years. Fifteen years ago our chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) began recycling aluminum cans. AAZK has since added the recycling of print cartridges to their program. The revenue from this program goes to fund keeper education.

The Green Team is not the first Zoo-wide committee focused on conservation and education. The zoo has hosted a Conservation Committee that has initiated cell-phone recycling, available for zoo employees and guests.

Earth Day 2008 the Zoo partnered with Waste Management and Sony Corporation to collect household electronics to be recycled during the “Party for the Planet-Earth Day” celebration. Zoo staff and guests filled over 3 semi-trailers full of electronics on that single day!

The Zoo’s Horticulture staff continues to make recycling a daily goal by returning used plastic trays and flowerpots to local nurseries so that they can be reused.

Visit Earth 911 for general information on recycling

Find your local recycling center

Clean Air

The Zoo has made efforts to reduce the amount of gas-operated vehicles to reduce pollution. Currently two-thirds of the Zoo’s utility vehicles are electric powered. We are also implementing the use of bicycle carts for our short trips around the Zoo.

Energy Savings

Our Facilities Operations department is actively converting to energy saving ballast and T-8 fluorescent light bulbs to conserve energy. All new areas will have these energy saving features and we are busy retrofitting the older areas. Currently, 90% of the Zoo has been switches to T-8 fluorescent light bulbs.
For more information on the benefits of flourecent lighting visit Earth Easy www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm

You can find florescent light bulbs in your local hardware store. If they don’t carry them, request that they do!

Water Conservation

Native plants have been featured in many recent additions to the Zoo landscape. Native plants generally require less water and have fewer pest and disease problems than exotic species. In addition, many native plants provide food and habitat for desirable wild birds and butterflies. Native trees, shrubs, vines and wildflowers have been planted throughout the Zoo, especially in the new plaza by the Bears exhibit and the Butterfly Garden in the Children’s Farm. We are also emphasizing the use of drought tolerant plants, a practice known as Xeriscaping. Xeriscaping plants used at the Zoo include cacti and other succulents, sedum, salvias and ornamental grasses.

The Zoo is using a number of strategies to reduce irrigation water consumption. Facilities Operations is working to repair or replace leaking valves and sprinkler head spray patterns have been fine-tuned. Sprinkler systems have been timed to operate at night or early in the morning, to avoid losses through evaporation. In some areas, drip irrigation systems have been installed.

For more information on Xeriscaping visit www.eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm

Learn more about native plants in Arkansas at the Natural Heritage www.naturalheritage.com/gallery/display.asp?cat=Plants&group_id=28

To get involved with local native plant enthusiasts, consider joining the Arkansas Native Plant Society www.anps.org/

Water Quality

An engineered wetland downstream from the giraffe and rhino exhibits uses aquatic plants to purify waste water prior to its release into the storm water sewer system. The water is pumped through a series of waterfalls and gravel beds. Aquatic plants in these beds remove nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, etc) and sediments from the water. These nutrients support rapid growth of the plants, giving the area a lush, tropical appearance. Aquatic plants in this system include pickerelweed, elephant ears, canna lilies, ginger lilies, rushes, and sedges.

Endangered Feces

Since the spring of 2006, the Horticulture Department has been composting 48 cubic feet a day of elephant manure, leaves, grass clippings and other yard waste. Currently, scraps from Café Africa and the Commissary are also added to the compost. The finished compost is used in the Zoo landscape and donated to local school and community garden projects.

Starting a compost pile is cheap, easy, and a great way to give your garden a boost! Start a compost pile with your kids today! sustainable.tamu.edu/slidesets/kidscompost/cover.html

Want to learn more about what you can do around your home to live more sustainably? Check out these great local and national resources for helpful information!

SustainAR is your local resource for green activities and events in Arkansas. www.sustainar.org

The Arkansas Sustainability Network can help connect you with local resources and programs that promote more sustainable communities. www.arnetwork.org

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is your state resource for air, water and land protection. www.adeq.state.ar.us/

Sustainable Alternatives hosts community events and workshops on recycling, water quality and more. sustainablealternatives.org

Earthrise Institute is your local resource for natural building. www.bioshift.org/

Tips and helpful information on how to green your live:

Green Living Tips www.greenlivingtips.com/

Ideal Bite www.idealbite.com/

The Daily Green www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/

Sustainable Tips www.sustainabletips.com/

National Geographic’s Green Guide www.thegreenguide.com/

The Little Rock Zoo works daily to upgrade facilities, change old habits, and educate the public on the personal and environmental benefits of living a cleaner, greener lifestyle.