Tropical Rediscovery Reopens at Denver Zoo

Tropical Discovery at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) has finally reopened with a brand new skylight. Over the past two months, the DZCA has been hard at work replacing hundreds of pieces of glass spanning more than 12,000 square feet above Tropical Discovery.

The new skylight will not only provide better visibility and clarity for all the animal lovers out  but a healthier environment for hundreds of rare species inhabiting the area. The renovation is just one big step in the DZCA’s ongoing conservation efforts. The future looks greener than ever, and it’s not just because of the tropical plants.

For more than 30 years, Tropical Discovery has been an impressive showcase of biodiversity for Mile High residents and guests to enjoy, housing more than 2,000 exotic animals from remote places on the globe. However, the maintenance of such a massive tropical oasis in the middle of Denver has required significant natural resources and energy. In 2022, DZCA began its ambitious mission to transform the tropical habitat into a more sustainable and energy-efficient oasis.

“At Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, we recognize that our operations directly impact the wellbeing of the natural world, and our mission starts right here on our 80-acre campus,” says Blair Neelands, Director of Sustainability and Environmental Compliance for DZCA. “Making improvements to Tropical Discovery represented a tremendous opportunity to advance our ambitious sustainability goals in energy savings.”

The Tropical Discovery sustainability initiative focused on preventative maintenance, equipment upgrades, and staff training to help maintain optimal environment conditions. These improvements have saved a tremendous amount of natural resources including a 30% reduction in overall energy use, 63% decrease in electricity, and a 15%  decrease in natural gas. The energy improvements translate to a staggering reduction of 656 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to removing 156 gasoline-powered cars from the road each year.

The improvements at Tropical Discovery are just one piece of DZCA’s ambitious energy-efficiency plans. The efforts to make the Denver Zoo greener over the past decade have not gone unrecognized. Last month, DZCA received runner-up for the 2023 24-Karat Gold Award by the Colorado Green Business Network.

Make sure to head over to Tropical Discovery at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance to see more than 300 rare and fascinating species! Don’t forget to check out the Komodo dragons, Siamese crocodiles, and a brand new 10-year-old male green anaconda.

Photo courtesy of the Denver Zoo