Green Fund

The Dallas Zoo’s Green Fund provides funding for unique sustainability projects that have impacts in the areas of water, energy consumption, waste reduction, active commuting, and engagement of staff in sustainability in accordance with the Dallas Zoo’s Sustainability Master Plan. The Zoo first created the fund in 2022, and funding was directed to new compost bins and a manure handler trough filling project in animal barns.

2023

In 2023, the Dallas Zoo funded the following projects:

Purchase of two new water submeters for gorilla habitats
Purchase of two new water line auto-fill controllers for gorilla habitats
Installation of water line submeters for otter water feature and gorilla habitats

Impact of projects funded in 2023:

Water submeters are used to monitor and track the water usage of the highest water users at the Dallas Zoo. They can identify abnormalities in usage that can be further investigated. In January 2024, the submeter at the Otter Water feature showed a 400,000-gallon increase in usage. When this was investigated by the Water Conservation Focus Team, a major leak was identified! This leak may not have been located and fixed if it weren’t for the monitoring and tracking abilities of the new submeter.

One of the auto-fill controllers that was purchased in 2023

2024

This year, the Zoo has dedicated $20,000 to sustainability projects that will be ranked and prioritized based on their environmental, financial, and social impacts. Staff have submitted ideas for projects, and the Green Fund Committee is in the process of analyzing the potential impacts of all submissions. The winning projects will be released shortly!