DENVER — Climate change is impacting businesses across Colorado, to the point that some are starting to see an impact on revenue and their business models. One of those organizations is the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Over the summer, when Colorado was stuck in a loop of 90-degree days or hotter, the zoo started to see the number of visitors drop by roughly a 1,100 people a day, according to the zoo Director of Communications, Jake Kubie.
The Chief Operating Officer, Cristal Torres DeHerrera, said the changing weather patterns were changing their revenue.
“Our staff is on the lookout if people show signs of dehydration,” said DeHerrera.
The weather started impacting their visitor numbers so much, they bumped up their opening time to 7:30 in the morning and kept it open longer into the evening and then scaled back operations during the afternoon. Now, they’re hoping more people will come out during the fall and for holiday lights in the winter to make up for lost business.
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“We want to invite the community every day,” said DeHerrera.
DeHerrera said with roughly 1.7 million people visiting every year, they have a big platform to talk about climate change.
“We have sustainability goals that we are trying to meet and are aggressive about that,” said DeHerrera.
The zoo is in the process of planting as much native landscaping as possible and even finding plants that thrive in places like West Texas and Arizona as they plan for the future in Colorado. They hope, in between the animals, visitors will pay attention maybe even get inspiration for their own yards. The Botanic Gardens has a similar initiative, focusing on native landscaping and invite people to get inspiration for their own yards as well.
“You will see us continue growing the largest tree canopy in Denver,” added DeHerrera.
Climate change impacting operations at Denver Zoo
Tree canopy can be a game-changer. When Denver hits those hot stretches temperature wise, neighborhoods without enough trees and more pavement can be 10 degrees hotter than other parts of the city. This is typically happening in under-invested areas in Colorado.
There is also the issue of older homes that weren’t built for this kind of weather, making it difficult for families to stay there during very hot and very cold days.
There are several groups working on expanding tree canopy, including the Park People. The City of Denver’s climate action office also received a $5 million grant to expand tree canopy and said there will be volunteer opportunities in the near future. Energy Outreach Colorado is helping families make their homes climate resilient on a budget.
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