new exhibit

Going Green

This exhibit has been designed with nature in mind. Using the earth’s natural systems, the entire exhibit will save about 3 million gallons of water and 75 million BTUs of energy every year! That’s like saving 24 million pints of drinking water and heating five, new, two-bedroom townhouses each year.

By combining the earth’s systems with state-of-the-art engineering, the exhibit helps us reduce our carbon footprint. The plant roots and microbes in our constructed wetland (located just in front of the exhibit) are similar to natural wetlands — they filter the penguin pool water as it becomes nutrient-rich (with feathers, fish scales and poop).

After being filtered naturally, the purified water returns to the penguin pool. This means clean water for the penguins, and for us, as no pollution will enter our lakes, streams or Puget Sound.

One hundred feet below the exhibit, deep tubes use the earth’s thermal reserves to maintain the penguin pool at the ideal water temperature of 50–60 degrees.

It’s amazing what a little planting and a lot of digging can do!

For more information on how you can Share the Habitat, visit our Share the Habitat site for tips.