Orienteering at the Zoo
Sustainability focus ~ Secondary Students
Explore environmentally friendly features of Adelaide Zoo
You will find sustainability features across Adelaide Zoo in infrastructure and behaviour
change initiatives. We have a long way to go but becoming more sustainable is a priority for
our organisation.
Expectations
 The group must stay together at all times, and stay on the paths
 All groups must walk. It is important not to run between checkpoints
To find the answers you may have to:
 Look closely at the Envirodome building and surrounding area
 Discuss the questions with your group
While you are exploring Adelaide Zoo consider these big questions
and discuss them with your group as you move around:
 Why would sustainability be a priority for Zoos SA?
 What do you think are the big environmental issues that Adelaide Zoo can have a
positive impact on?
 How do you think Adelaide Zoo should prepare for hotter and more extreme weather in
the future?
 What impact do your think efficient water, energy and waste management could have
on the environment?
 How do you think the Zoo should deal with all of its green waste? Why?
Extension question
 What is the connection between living more sustainable lifestyles and saving animals
from extinction?
Orientation activity
Check
Point
Question
R11
What can you see on the roof here and
why is this a good thing?
R11
Look at the bins in the education foyer.
How is waste separated at Adelaide
Zoo? Have a look inside the bins and
see if people are doing the right thing?
S11
Look at all the mulch in the gardens
here. Where do you think it came from
and why put it here?
Q11
What can you see on the two end roofs?
What are some benefits of this set up?
P9
A stage? This is the top of a huge
rainwater tank. Where do you think the
water comes from and how might it be
used?
Q10
The huge brick walls are old: they once
housed the Great Apes. Why weren’t
they bulldozed, and new walls used for
the Envirodome?
R10
The windows at the front of the building
are at an angle. Why? ( Hint: think of
the path of the summer sun and the
winter sun)
R10
The angled brown walls are “straw bale”
walls. Inside the mortar are bales of
hay!! Why is this an environmentally
friendly option?
Notes for your answers to the big questions
Answer
Orientation activity ~ possible answers
Check Point
R11
R11
S11
Q11
P9
Q10
R10
R10
What can you see on the
roof here and why is this a
good thing?
Look at the bins in the
education foyer. How is
waste separated at Adelaide
Zoo? Have a look inside the
bins and see if people are
doing the right thing?
Look at all the mulch in the
gardens here. Where do you
think it came from and why
put it here?
What can you see on the two
end roofs? What are some
benefits of this set up?
Question
Answer
Solar panels. Convert light energy to electricity. Reduces need for
burning fossil fuels – reduces atmospheric CO2 and global warming.
Dry materials, Green waste, Landfill
Pruning’s from around zoo are all chopped up, sometimes mixed
with manure, fermented, put on gardens. Reduces water loss, home
for invertebrates, food for larger animals etc.
Green roofs – grasses, bushes trees.
Good for habitat – plants & invertebrates living there, food & shelter
for larger animals, connect to parklands.
Insulates rooms below – less energy used, less CO2 etc
A stage? This is the top of a
huge rainwater tank. Where
Water from Envirodome roofs.
do you think the water
Used in toilets in Discovery Zone and Education Centre
comes from and how might it
be used?
The huge brick walls are old:
Large amounts of heat needed to turn clay to brick. Huge electricity
they once housed the Great
to make cement for mortar. Much CO2 produced for both. Wasteful
Apes. Why weren’t they
to demolish and replace with material that requires more energy &
bulldozed, and new walls
resource use.
used for the Envirodome?
The windows at the front of
the building are at an angle.
Low winter sun enters rooms and warms – reduces need for
Why? ( Hint: think of the path
heating. High summer sun cannot penetrate – reduces need for
of the summer sun and the
cooling – energy savers, lower greenhouse gas production
winter sun)
The angled brown walls are
“straw bale” walls. Inside
Local – so low transport fuel use.
the mortar are bales of hay!!
Grass USES CO2 from atmosphere to make straw – lowers CO2 in air.
Why is this an
Good insulation, light
environmentally friendly
option?
Some ideas for answers to the big questions
Sustainability as a priority – fight climate change, reduce costs, lead by example, inspire change.
Impact – Habitat protection and regeneration, breeding threatened species, education, awareness
raising, raising money for projects, promoting and inspiring change.
Prepare for climate change – design new infrastructure to prepare for heat and other extreme
weather, reduce need for water and electricity, improve resource recovery, reduce evaporation,
change vegetation to suit hotter weather, reduce hard surfaces so rain soaks in, design to capture
more water and solar energy.
Reuse all green waste to create plant food
Saving species from extinction – The more sustainably we live the less need we have to take
resources from wild habitats.
There are many more plausible answers to the big questions.