The North Carolina Zoo has received international recognition for its sustainability efforts.

The Zoo earned the 2021 Environmental Sustainability Award from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The organization represents nearly 400 facilities around the world and designates only one such winner each year.

The Zoo began its green practices in the late 1980s. Minimizing plastics, using energy-efficient lighting and heating and cooling systems, and offering electric charging stations are part of the sustainability effort.

Beyond its boundaries though, the North Carolina Zoo is also credited with showing visitors how they can make an environmental difference in their own communities.

The North Carolina Zoo is the largest natural habitat wildlife park in the world.