Going Green

We have been nominated to receive the 2010 Green Business Award from the Business Courier and U.S. Green Building Council!

green logo The Zoo is going green, and you can, too!

The Zoo's Historic Vine Street Village, which opened in May 2009, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification - the highest rating award by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Cincinnati Zoo is the first zoo in the nation to complete multiple LEED projects. This new, green entry complex is just one of the many reasons that the Cincinnati Zoo is the greenest zoo in the country.
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Watch the Go Green video!
solar energy data

Why Go Green?
How Do I Go Green?
Greening the Zoo
Green Zoo Map

What Does it Mean to Go Green?

Going green is about making choices in our daily lives that promote a healthy planet, from what you eat to what you wear to how you get from here to there.

Why Go Green?

Going green is crucial to maintaining a healthy planet and its natural resources upon which both people and wildlife depend. It is also good for your health, pocketbook, and quality of life.

How Can I Go Green?

Take a close look at the choices you make in life and identify the opportunities you have to select greener options, following the lead of the Zoo's Go Green initiatives. Start with a couple of quick and simple changes. Once you’re comfortable with those, pick out a few more to pursue, and you’ll be well on your way towards a greener lifestyle.

Recycle Old Cell Phones

Bring your old cell phone to the Zoo or to any ECO-CELL Recycling Center near you. Recycling cell phones, cell phone batteries and cell phone chargers reduces mining in gorilla habitat for materials used in phones. Learn more>

Visit the Go Green Garden

Next time you're at the Zoo, be sure to visit the Go Green Garden, presented by Duke Energy, to see how the Zoo is going green and learn tangible ways to go green in your own home. (Photos: Shasta Bray)

Bring along a green map of the Zoo to know where to go to see highlights of the Zoo's green efforts. Or, view our interactive green zoo map.

Support Local Green Businesses

Here's a map that will help you find green businesses in the Greater Cincinnati area.

The Zoo is doing its part to conserve natural resources that are critical to saving wildlife and wild places by greening its daily operations and reducing its impact on the environment. The Zoo's Go Green initiative addresses:

Move your pointer around the map to get more information on green points of interest! Use the + and - to zoom in and out and click and drag to move the map. Click here to open map in a larger window.