![The Wild Asia exhibit is one of the newest exhibits at Akron Zoo and it has received the highest standard of LEED certification there is. [Akron Zoo / WKSU]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2cf1145/2147483647/strip/true/crop/980x551+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2021%2F12%2FAkron-Zoo-Wild-Asia.jpg)
The Akron Zoo has received LEED certification, Leader in Energy and Environmental Design, for its two newest exhibits.
Zoo CEO Doug Piekarz says it’s recognition that both the Pride of Africa and Wild Asia exhibits were built with the highest energy and environmental design standards as rated by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“The value of actually leveraging LEED on our construction, it helps us demonstrate through a third party that we’re actually doing what we say we are doing with trying to put our mission first even where we’re building things," Piekarz said.
This includes using recycled construction material to reduce waste, using light colored materials like concrete that reflect less heat and carefully angled light sources that don’t spill out into the night sky which can affect migratory birds.
One of the exhibits at Akron Zoo that received LEED certification is Pride of Africa. [Akron Zoo]
The zoo is also using an in-house water-filtration system to refill its ponds instead of drawing on city water.
The Akron Zoo was one of the first zoos in the nation and also the first in Summit County to receive LEED certification for their Komodo Kingdom Education Center.
Piekarz hopes to eventually convert the entire zoo into a LEED certified space.
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