Zoo Blog
Friday, September 24, 2010
Our Upgraded Tiger Deck & Tables
Written by: Ashley Stalvig
If you have been visiting the zoo for more than a year you may remember the concerning state of the old Tiger Deck. The concrete was crumbling and uneven, looked quite unattractive, and was eventually closed to visitors for safety purposes. Well, not anymore!
The Tiger Deck has received a make-over! The deck has been fitted with new tiles, a GreenGrid roofing system, recycled materials picnic tables and umbrellas. We are very proud of this improvement, not only because it looks great, but because it serves a purpose as well. The Tiger Deck and tables are helping us in our conservation efforts and are environmentally friendly!
 The plants found on the Tiger Deck naturally transform heat and soil moisture into humidity, cooling the building directly below in warm weather. Conversely, in the famous cooler weather of Duluth, the green roof provides added thermal mass to the building’s roof to help keep the building warm. This simple feature is helping us save money on our heating and cooling efforts, as well as use less energy and non-renewable resources.  The new tables on the Tiger Deck are made from 100% polyethylene which is converted from recycled milk jugs. Each table keeps 2670 milk jugs out of landfills. We currently have six tables which means we reused 16,020 milk jugs! These milk jugs provide our guests with some sustainable seating which can be completely recycled several years from now when the tables are no longer functional. Labels: conservation, environmentally friendly, green roof, green tables, Lake Superior Zoo, milk jugs, non-renewable resources, polyethylene, recycled, recycling, sustainable, Tiger Deck, umbrellas
posted by Keely Johnson
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Monday, September 20, 2010
 Flooding at the Lake Superior Zoo
Written By: Ashley Stalvig
It has been more than a month since a portion of the zoo was covered with water – the largest flood on zoo grounds in recent memory. We are happy to report no more flooding has taken place and no animals were injured. Only the turkey vulture, Jive, had to be removed from his exhibit.
On Wednesday, August 18, 2010 the center of the zoo collected up to 10 feet of standing water which was backed up due to a culvert malfunction. The culvert was being installed by Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad and collapsed, causing Kingsbury Creek to continue to rise. Unfortunately, the zoo is where most of the water collected and continued to rise until about 5:30 pm.
Later that evening, a drain was created which allowed the water to leave the zoo grounds rather quickly. The high waters carried and spread debris and mud throughout  the affected area. Many picnic tables, benches, playground equipment, and even a bridge wer e transplanted by the water.
Thanks to the quick response of staff here at the Lake Superior Zoo the grounds were quickly evacuated of guests, and safety precautions for all animals were taken. The following day staff and volunteers were able to clean the affected areas and reopen the zoo by 12:30 pm. Of course, the cleaning and repair efforts are ongoing as damages are still being assessed. The City of Duluth, as owner of the zoo property, is taking the lead in all damage assessments.Labels: animals, August 18 2010, BNSF, culvert, damage assessments, exhibit, flood, flooding, Jive, Kingsbury Creek, Lake Superior Zoo, malfunction, standing water, turkey vulture
posted by Keely Johnson
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