PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

At the Detroit Zoo, “green” is always in fashion – especially on June 16 at the hottest event of the summer, Sunset at the Zoo. Themed “Green is the New Black”, this year’s gala fundraiser celebrates the Detroit Zoological Society’s (DZS) sustainability initiatives.

“As stewards of the environment, we are passionate about sustainability,” said DZS Executive Director and CEO Ron Kagan. “Sunset is a great time to reflect on the progress we have made on our Green Journey and encourage our guests to show their love for our planet by living more sustainably.”

The DZS’s sustainability initiatives fall under the umbrella of the organization’s Greenprint, an award-winning strategic plan to refine and improve green practices and facilities at the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center, incorporate sustainability in all policies and programs, and improve green literacy and action in the community.

Recent Greenprint initiatives include discontinuing the sale of bottled water on Detroit Zoo grounds, keeping 60,000 plastic bottles out of the waste stream annually; powering Zoo operations with 100% renewable electricity; and building an anaerobic digester that annually converts 500 tons of animal manure and other organic waste into methane-rich gas to help power the Zoo’s animal hospital. The DZS is also paving the way for a more sustainable environment by incorporating permeable pavement in parking lots and visitor pathways, which reduces storm water runoff and improves water quality by filtering pollutants.

These and other sustainability efforts will be celebrated at Sunset at the Zoo “Green is the New Black”, presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions. The annual fundraiser offers a strolling supper with tastes of signature dishes from 45 of the area’s finest restaurants as well as desserts and zoo-themed specialty drinks. The event also features live music, dancing under the stars, live and silent auctions, and access to many of the Zoo’s award-winning animal habitats as the sun goes down. Tickets for the June 16 soiree are available at www.detroitzoo.org/sunset.

The DZS offers a “Shades of Green” guide with suggestions for lightening one’s impact on the Earth and the animals that inhabit it. To download the guide and learn about ways to live sustainably, visit https://detroitzoo.org/about/greenprint-sustainability/.