News and Stories

The Greenest Zoo in America offers tips to care for the earth this Earth Week

 Earth Day is every day at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where the goal is to inspire everyone with wildlife! As the Greenest Zoo in America, modeling sustainability and ways to protect the planet are a priority.

“It’s important for us to walk the walk when it comes to sustainability,” said Cincinnati Zoo COO Mark Fisher. “For example, we build sustainable features such as solar panels and rainwater reuse systems into our habitats to minimize our carbon footprint and share those stories with visitors to inspire them to take similar actions in their homes and their places of work.”

The average homeowner doesn’t need million-gallon capacity stormwater tanks like the ones under Elephant Trek, but a rain barrel is an attainable option that can reduce water usage for anyone. The Zoo, in partnership with Save Local Waters and with support from its official water sustainability sponsor Roto Rooter, is making it easy for visitors to get their hands on beautifully-painted rain barrels. Learn more about the Rain Barrel Art Project and how you can take one home (bidding ends this Friday). Take a look at the barrels on Swan Lake

bridge during the final Tunes & Blooms concert of the year this Thursday night!

All of the Zoo’s after hours events are Zero Waste Events, including the Barrows Conservation Lecture Series. This Wednesday night, in addition to learning about what our partners at The Wild Nature Institute (WNI) are doing for giraffes, the Zoo will be hosting a mini drop-off event from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. in the Education Building for the following items:

• Electronic waste*
• Lightbulbs
• Batteries

*For items smaller than a tablet, such as cell phones, e-readers, iPods/MP3 players, and all the accessories that come with them. Please no televisions or computers!

April is Native Plant Month, and the Zoo is encouraging people, wherever they are, to add a native plant to a garden or pot.  The Zoo’s horticulture team grows hundreds of native plant species at Bowyer Farm, its off-site facility in Warren County, and shares information about what does well in this region of the country with homeowners and gardening retailers.  Some of these plants are great for pollinators.  Find out how you can join the Zoo’s Plant for Pollinators program.

Songbird migration is underway, and the Zoo is celebrating their return with Songbird Welcome Home Week and by sharing simple ways people can help feathered friends to and through the Cincinnati region.  The week kicks off with an off-site event on May 4 (Star Wars Night: A Bird & Star-Friendly Skies Event with the Cincinnati Observatory) and closes on May 9 with a World Migratory Bird Day celebration at the Zoo from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. where guests can visit learning and activity stations across the Zoo, including window art created by local artists from Visionaries + Voices.

The Zoo opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. daily.  Members get Early Entry and are welcome to enter the Zoo at 9 a.m. FREE entry for Tunes & Blooms starts at 5 p.m.  Memberships, sponsored by Thomas & Galbraith, are on sale now through the end of April.

Download the mobile app featuring a GPS-enabled digital map to find your favorite animals, food locations, and to receive special announcements.