Sustainability isn’t a buzz word. It’s a call-to-action. And it starts with mindfulness—being mindful about what we consume both as individuals and a community, the energy and water we use, the rubbish we produce, and where it all goes. Every positive action towards sustainability of our planet and our future generations—no matter how modest you feel it may be—matters.
Our Ascham community is filled with mindful, kind people—many of whom are making a difference with their commitment to our planet and its living things. We have many staff members passionate about sustainability!
Meet Sally Wolifson. Sally joined our staff late last year and has found a wonderful way to recycle Ascham’s shredded paper. Here’s Sally’s story…
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I have volunteered at Taronga for six years; I’ve done zookeeping (Australian fauna), been a nutrition officer (food prep) and an observation volunteer in primates (behaviour watching). I also did a three-month stint at the Taronga Institute of Learning as a Student Coordinator for the Zookeeping courses.
Animals love shredded paper, the long strips like we have at Ascham! I’ve taken three 70L bags full of Ascham’s shredded paper to Taronga Zoo’s Taronga Training Institute, where they do educational programs and have immersive classrooms for students and teachers.
The shredded paper is used for bedding and enrichment for a number of different animals, including snakes and lizards. Visitors to Taronga will not see shredded paper in enclosures as it’s not considered part of a natural habitat—it’s only used in the back-of-house enclosures.
Taronga does some amazing work with sustainability and is carbon neutral:
- Sustainable energy – use of solar at Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo
- Waste management – diverts 84% of waste from landfill
- Water management – water treatment plant onsite
- Responsible sourcing – of sustainable products and produce
- Ecologically sustainable buildings – in design, demolition and construction
- ECO Certification in Tourism
You can read more about Taronga’s sustainability strategy and priorities here.
