The Nashville Zoo spans roughly 200 acres, six miles from the heart of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The zoo serves as a significant part of Tennessee's cultural landscape and attracts people of all ages. Also referred to as Grassmere Park, the Nashville Zoo's mission statement is, "Promoting environmental and species conservation through education and recreation."" By incorporating the practice of sustainability at Grassmere, the Nashville Zoo could serve as a beacon for Tennessee, leading the way toward incorporating sustainable practices into the mainstream. The zoo could benefit from utilizing these applications, not only by supporting the environment, but by improving the bottom line through proper land management. .
To state the obvious, manure is abundant at all zoos. However, while it may have an unpleasant smell, this natural animal function can be used to nourish a wide diversity of soil organisms. Instead of filling up landfill space and increasing emissions, animal droppings can be converted to an organic recycling center where they can be composted in to large mounds. These mounds will regulate and reduce nutrient loss as well as decompose faster (Raabe). In addition to using the compost in the onsite gardens, the zoo could sell this compost to a consumer market. In March of 2011, the Cincinnati Zoo decided to incorporate composting in to their daily work routine. Already considered "The Greenest Zoo in America " after being the first zoo to be Leed certified in the United States, the Cincinnati Zoo's composting system could serve as a template for Grassmere Park in Nashville, Tennessee.
By, implementing green building practices, the Nashville Zoo could both help the environment and also reduce land and structural costs. There are many different "green building techniques " that could be applied to the zoo. These include a wind turbine, geothermal energy, rain garden, green roof technology, and alternative building systems.
