GO BANANAS! Answer the Call and Save the Gorillas!

"There are currently more than 270 million cell phone users in the United States alone and over 4 billion users worldwide.  The average lifespan of a cell phone in the United States is about a year and a half. Of these old cell phones that are no longer in use, less than one percent are recycled."  Recycling cell phones reduces mining for coltan, an ore used in cell phones.  This mining happens in a gorilla habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Recycling cell phones reduces the need for coltan which saves these animals and their habitat, ensuring their future in the wild.  In addition, when discarded cell phones and batteries sit in landfills, hazardous materials can filter into our soil and seep into our drinking water.  Our Daisy troop agreed to help make the world a better place (rose petal) by holding a collection at our school.  


 
We designed a flyer and had two printed per page.  The cost of the paper and the printing was around $25 for 300 copies.  We distributed a flyer to every student in the school.  We hung a flyer in the lobby, the front office, the workroom, and the teachers' lounge.  The collection box sat in the lobby.  Our troop managed to collect 20 cell phones that we proudly donated to the Cincinnati Zoo.  


We are fortunate to live in a city with a zoo that has consistently been ranked as one of the top zoos in the country.  The Cincinnati Zoo values education, knowing that educating others will only further their efforts.  Our troop was able to schedule a tour with a member of the Sustainability Team.  We met in the newer education building on the zoo property.  The girls learned how the building is a "Green building."  They started the tour with a scavenger hunt of sorts.  Each girl was given a picture of a material.  The troop was asked to look through the building to discover what was made from each of the materials.  For example, one picture was of plastic bottles.  We learned the carpet throughout the building was manufactured from recycled bottles.  Wheat straw and sunflower seed shells were compressed to make the walls.  Bamboo was used to make the stage floor in one of the meeting rooms.  When the building was being constructed, a burr oak tree had to be removed.  The wood was used to make beautiful benches that currently line the main hallway of the building.  Most impressive!

We made our way through the Green Garden and learned more about recycling and composting.  We were amazed to learn that the pathways at the zoo are designed to allow rainwater to trickle down below the surface of the path.  The runoff is collected in basins and then used to water the plants and flowers throughout the zoo and botanical gardens.  

As we walked back to the Education Building from the garden, we passed the elephants.  We were told of yet another way the Cincinnati Zoo is using their resources wisely (green petal).  They made some changes in their operations over the years, saving money in the process.  They currently use elephant dung for energy and for manure to fertilize the gardens.  Speaking of energy, huge solar panels were installed over the expansive parking lot.  These panels generate energy for the zoo while shading the cars beneath (which is a huge bonus in my opinion).  Our zoo provides so much for our city.  I love that our troop was able to give back.  Thanks for reading!