Reid Park Zoo, Tucson Zoological Society, Conservation

Conservation at the Zoo

In addition to being a great place to look at and learn about animals, zoos bring together people who are passionate about conservation. Click on the links below to find out what your Zoo is doing to help animals and their habitats in the wild.

Recycling
Composting
Reclaimed water use
Conservation in the field
Captive breeding programs
Green building

How can you make a difference? Click here for a list of simple conservation actions for and parents!

Conservation in the field

Reid Park Zoo provides financial support for a variety of field conservation projects that protect animals in their wild habitats.

How do we raise money?

Our Teen Volunteers offer products and services at special events, such as glow necklaces and photos with Santa. Their efforts can raise up to $2,000 on a busy night.
Every day at 10:00, and on weekends also at 2:00, you can pay $2.00 to hand-feed a giraffe! Come to the platform located between rhinos and giraffes, where you can meet a Zoo Keeper and see a giraffe up close. Money raised here goes to conservation programs and helps fund professional development for Zoo Staff.
Our Zoofari Café offers the “Round-up for Conservation” program. For example, if you purchase products adding up to $7.25, you will be asked if you’d like to pay $8.00 and have the extra $0.75 go into a conservation fund. The choice is yours. In 2006, this program earned $1280.00. That change really adds up!

How do we decide where the money should go?
There are many worthy projects that need funds. Zoo Staff and volunteers review proposals on a regular basis and decide which projects most closely match the Zoo's mission and goals.

What projects has the Zoo donated money to recently?

Butterfly Conservation Initiative. Administered by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, this project is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of threatened, endangered, and vulnerable North American butterflies and the habitats that sustain them.
The Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Program for Grevy’s Zebra. This project’s vision is “to halt the decline of Grevy’s zebras in Northern Kenya.” Money from the Reid Park Zoo has been used to pay the salary of a security game guard in Kenya.
Local Gila monster study. Reid Park Zoo’s donation to two local herpetologists will fund lab work and sampling supplies for a study designed to determine naturally occurring pathogens in Gila monsters.
Conservation Lower Zambezi. Reid Park Zoo’s donation to this project in Zambia helps fund anti-poaching patrols and educational outreach programs to local school children.
Spay and neuter certificates. Reid Park Zoo’s teen volunteers pay for spaying and neutering stray animals found around the Zoo and Reid Park. These animals are then cared for as pets by private individuals.

Recycling
Like many people in Tucson, the Zoo participates in the City of Tucson's blue barrel recycling program. Zoo staff members follow the City's recycling guidelines when separating recyclable material from other trash.

We also recycle the ink jet cartridges from our computers. If you would like to recycle your own cartridge, you can pick up a postage-paid envelope at the front gate of the Zoo.

You can also recycle cell phones at the Zoo. Just drop them off at the Zoo's administration building or the front gate.

Composting
The Zoo is involved in an experimental program to compost the waste from our animals. We are working with the City of Tucson to develop an efficient, cost-effective method of transforming our animal waste into compost that can be used as fertilizer. Our staff is responsible for separating animal waste and plant trimmings from other trash.

Captive breeding programs
Although zoo babies are popular with our guests, the Zoo does not breed animals without thinking about the long-term responsibility. If an animal at our zoo has a baby, we are responsible for it. If we can’t find another zoo that wants to take an animal, we must be able to house it ourselves.

Some of the Zoo’s animals are part of a program called the Species Survival Plan®, or SSP®. The SSP® was developed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association to help zoos and aquariums work together to do what’s best for an entire species. The SSP® can determine which animals are good breeding matches, even if those animals are at different zoos. It can also restrict breeding if the captive population gets too large, or encourage breeding if the population gets too small. Even if an animal is not officially part of an SSP®, we still consult with other zoos to determine whether it’s responsible to breed a certain type of animal.

Reclaimed water use

Let's face it, the Zoo uses lots of water to keep animal exhibits and night houses clean, and to keep our vegetation lush. In the desert, water is very precious so we use it as responsibly as possible. We use highly treated wastewater, or "reclaimed" water, for many of our cleaning and irrigating needs.

"Green" building
Reid Park Zoo strives to be a community leader in "green" construction. We are currently constructing the Conservation Learning Center, which will feature

Solar power panels to produce energy for the building
Highly efficient heating and cooling systems
Recycled and sustainable construction materials
Water harvesting

And much more! Our goal is to obtain LEED platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. We hope to be the first LEED platinum building in Southern Arizona.

Things kids can do to help wildlife:

Turn off lights when you leave the room.
Conserve water--turn off water when you're brushing your teeth, and take shorter showers.
Let wild animals find their own food naturally instead of feeding them yourself.
Learn which items are recyclable in your neighborhood, and put them in the recycling bin.
Use both sides of your drawing or writing paper.
Research a pet before buying it to make sure you can care for it properly throughout its lifetime.
Choose a pet that needs a home from a shelter or the Humane Society.
Take good care of your pets, and train them not to chase wild animals.
Pick up litter, even if it's not yours.
Get outside and enjoy nature-hike, go to a park, or come to the Zoo!

Things parents can do to help wildlife:

Adjust the thermostat in your home by two or three degrees-warmer in the summer, and cooler in the winter. Using appropriate clothing to adjust your body's temperature saves money and helps conserve energy.
Walk, ride a bike, take the bus, carpool, or group errands together so that you drive less. If you're in the market for a new car, buy the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. Consider researching a hybrid or bio-diesel vehicle.
Spay or neuter your pet. According to the Humane Society, every year between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters; some three to four million of these animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them.
Take your own bags to the grocery store, and buy products with minimal disposable packaging.
Choose your foods and goods carefully. Avoid products made from endangered plants and animals, and products harvested in unsustainable ways.
Use "green" cleaning products to reduce the amount of chemicals released into the environment.
Use drought-tolerant, desert plants in your yard. If you have plants that need watering, water them in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler. Consider harvesting rain water for irrigation.
Support your zoo by visiting often. Your patronage allows us to continue working towards global conservation goals. Become a member of the Zoo.

Tucson Zoological Society
1030 South Randolph Way, Tucson, Arizona 85716
Phone: 520-881-4753 FAX: 520-881-1450
Office Hours: 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday
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