Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Funds Sustainable Upgrades for Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo staff will soon enjoy new, sustainable electric vehicles to aid in daily operations
BRONX, N.Y., May 16, 2022 /3BL Media/ - Staff at the Bronx Zoo are embracing clean in-park transportation with 12 new electric utility vehicles, thanks to a $144,088 donation from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. This sustainable update to the Bronx Zoo’s fleet of carts will replace gas-powered vehicles used for transporting small animals, materials, and staff.
The Bronx Zoo, operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), is the largest urban zoo in the country and hosts roughly 2 million visitors each year. The zoo’s education programs also reach more than 150,000 school children annually.
Founded in 1895, WCS saves wildlife and wild places in New York and around the world through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. WCS is the world’s premier conservation organization, a trusted advisor to global key decision makers, and a worldwide conservation authority.
“The Bronx Zoo and WCS’s other zoos and aquarium in New York City are committed to our conservation mission and are making improvements to ensure sustainability and nature positive operations,” said Jim Breheny, WCS executive vice president and Bronx Zoo director. “We are grateful to Green Mountain Energy Sun Club for their generosity and look forward to partnering on more initiatives in the future.”
Since 2002, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has been empowering local communities by donating nearly $11.7 million to 143 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Green Mountain Energy invites its customers and employees to contribute and help support more projects that promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. This one-of-a-kind model intrinsically ties community engagement to Green Mountain employees and customers.
“Sun Club aims to raise awareness on the importance and benefits of sustainable practices, including the use of electric vehicles,” said Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice president. “This project allows us to work with the Wildlife Conservation Society to integrate environmentally conscious, accessible, and practical elements into its community’s everyday lives.”
The Bronx Zoo is a leader in conservation and environmental education. At the 14th annual WCS Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo, a few of the new vehicles donated by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club were displayed in Astor Court as event participants ran and walked by.
About the Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinarian care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact mpulsinelli@wcs.org (718-220-5182).
About the Sun Club
Green Mountain Energy is changing the way power is made and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $11 million to 143 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.
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