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by Jeremy Schoolfield
In June 2005, FUNWORLD published a cover story on environ mentally conscious exhibit design at the Madison Children’s Museum in Wisconsin. The headline was “Seeing Green.”
It’s strange to think that back then—not very long ago, really—the phrase “going green” wasn’t a part of the lexicon, because over the past five years it’s spread like wildfire, amusement parks and attractions most certainly included. By now it seems if you’re not going green in some way, you’re going nowhere.
And so, in acknowledgment of the “greener” world in which we live, this marks FUNWORLD’s first Green Issue, dedicated exclusively to environmental policies, practices, and initiatives throughout the industry—and, in some cases, outside it.
Before we dive into those stories, though, let’s take a moment to assess what green actually means. In a business that features everything from destination resorts that employ tens of thousands, to mom-and-pop shops, and everything in between, going green can have vastly different implications for IAAPA’s various member groups. FUNWORLD queried a handful of people from throughout the industry to find out … What Does Green Mean to You?
David Rosenberg
Director of Guest Experience Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, California
In general, how have zoos and aquariums reacted to the “going green” phenomenon?
Zoos and aquariums are committed to protecting wildlife and wild places, so walking the talk in our everyday business practices is, for most institutions, a natural extension of our conservation/education mission. For years zoos and aquariums have been collaborating and sharing “best practices” for greening our operations and communicating green initiatives.
Many zoos and aquariums have either trained their staff and volunteers on interpretation of going green initiatives, launched new exhibits and practices related to going green, or developed high-level collaborations on how to educate the public. And most of us tout green business practices—to members, donors, and visitors.
How long has this been a priority for your constituency?
I like to think zoos and aquariums helped launch the going green movement with the general public through our conservation education efforts. The people who work in our institutions are passionate about these issues and want us to be as green as possible in our operations. Of course, like any business we’re always balancing the cost of green improvements with the return on investment for dollars we put into these improvements.
Our conservation committee began promoting green business practices more than 20 years ago and helped spark our workstation recycling program and strong commitment to alternative transportation when commuting to work. These are now part of our operating culture, along with other steps to cut energy and water use. The committee also initiated staff recognition programs like our Green Tree Award (for individuals and departments who lead by example) and Eco Dollars (recognition for individual acts of green behavior).
Are your patrons more concerned with green issues than the average leisure tourist? Are zoos and aquariums held to a different standard?
Absolutely. Visitors who come here care about wildlife, and we’ve found they want to know if the animals they see in our institutions are facing threats in the wild. Part of our job is to communicate the nature of those threats and to suggest meaningful actions that our visitors can take to make a difference.
Beyond that, our visitors expect us to walk our talk, and we need to do so to maintain our credibility as conservation organizations. Certainly not everyone who comes through our gates is looking for a conservation experience; they want to have a good time with friends and family. But there’s definitely a different set of expectations about zoos and aquariums than would be the case for visitors at other attractions. That said, it’s great to see these other institutions adopting conservation practices as well!
How do you see green initiatives impacting zoos and aquariums going forward?
By all indications the impacts of global climate change, loss of biodiversity on land and in the ocean, and coping with the impacts of a growing human population will be tremendous challenges in the years to come. All of these issues affect the wildlife and wild places that are at the core of who we are as institutions.
Zoos and aquariums will continue to be leaders as we adopt and model green practices and educate our audiences about the challenges ahead and effective ways to take action and make a difference. We have the advantage of the engaging live animals in our collections to help us communicate conservation issues and motivate our audiences to adopt conservation behaviors.
Above all, zoos and aquariums have earned a high level of credibility as institutions that care about animals and resources. That credibility puts us in a tremendous position to be persuasive ambassadors for green practices and conservation going into the future.
www.montereybayaquarium.org
Robin Goh
Assistant Director of Communications Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
How prominent were environmental considerations in the planning and construction of Resorts World Sentosa?
When we first won the bid, we realized it was a brand-new, greenfield project, which presented us the best opportunity to incorporate green practices into our plans. In fact, we were really blessed with this excellent opportunity to incorporate environmental considerations from blueprint to construction. The designers, engineers, and contractors— all led by our in-house projects team—saw and made this happen.
How important are green initiatives/issues in the resort’s daily operations?
Being environmentally responsible is one of the key tenets of Resorts World Sentosa’s corporate social responsibility program. As the biggest resort of its kind in the region, we wanted to set an example for newer resorts, theme parks, and hotels in the region to perhaps follow. We have put in place recycling messages and bins all throughout the resort, especially within Universal Studios Singapore.
What expectations do your visitors have when it comes to environmental awareness?
With the more discerning visitor, it is something that has become expected of all organizations, including theme parks.
Do you have any plans for green initiatives in the future?
Resorts World Sentosa’s phase two development, which includes the world’s largest oceanarium, a maritime museum, as well as two hotels nestled within a secondary forest that we have helped to save, will continue to employ green channels as far as we can.
www.rwsentosa.com
Michiel Illy
Director of Innovations/Development Center Parcs Europe N.V. Rotterdam, the Netherlands
How large a role did green initiatives play in the design and construction of your new resort and waterpark in Moselle, France?
“Green,” in general, is at the core essence of our company. Though for the development of Moselle, sustainability played a major role. In all aspects of the development and building it has been taken on board: Our villas are 20 percent more sustainable than the government rules require; we have our own biomass energy factory on the site (based on wood, since we are in a wood-rich area); we installed everywhere energy-saving lightbulbs and much more.
How important are these green programs and practices to your guests?
It is hard to say if it is important for our guests. We obviously communicate it, but it is probably not a driver to book for Center Parcs. It is more important for us as a company; it has been part of our DNA for many years.
How have you seen green initiatives change in the past 5-10 years?
Not only have the building rules in the different European countries sharpened and become more strict, but it is also very top of mind in the internal and external contacts when we develop a project. You cannot avoid this topic even if you want to.
How important, in general, d o you think being green is to waterparks and resorts in Europe?
Like I said before, it is probably not important for the guests visiting a waterpark, and a green waterpark will not get a higher attendance than a nongreen waterpark. But every waterpark will become greener anyhow because it is an energy-absorbing facility, and many solutions to save energy will be feasible quickly for this kind of project. The increasing energy costs will push the green for waterparks forward fast.
www.centerparcs.com
Bob Hansen
Owner/Operator Funway Entertainment Center Batavia, Illinois
 How much has the going green phenomenon affected FECs?
We’ve had additional costs for recycling, from disposal to purchase of garbage cans. Not that I’m complaining—we do whatever we can from training staff to scrap metal recycling. Additional costs related to Freon for refrigerators and freezers also add to the expense column as newer units just don’t last as long.
Are green programs and/or initiatives important to your guests (or, probably more accurate, the parents of your guests)?
Our guests see the blue cans all over, and I assume they appreciate we are doing our part.
Have you made any green improvements in the past few years?
Along with the items I already mentioned, we’re converting older light ballasts and bulbs to conserve energy.
How do you see the green movement affecting FECs in the future?
There will no doubt be an additional cost of doing business, but in my mind it’s an investment for our (everyone’s) future.
www.funway.com
Phil Lindsey
Vice President, Exhibits and Business Development The Health Museum Houston, Texas
What has going green meant for museums?
Museums have an opportunity to practice what they preach. Many, if not all, museums are front and center at education efforts in regard to green—from tech - nology and innovation to recycling, energy, resources… you name it. Museums were also early adopters of green practices behind the scenes, and now they have the ability to use their own practices as relevant content for their museums.
Were museums a bit ahead of the curve on this?
Yes and no. Museums were certainly adopters of a lot of green tech, as well as recycling, reusing, using less resources, energy efficiency, etc. But many museums find themselves in older (and often very large) buildings that were built long before current architectural best practices. So the challenge for museums is to try to renovate the single biggest asset they have (their buildings) and continue to be at the forefront of the green revolution. The major challenge is, of course, that these renovations cost millions of dollars across the field, which will require the communities that support the museums to step up and get the resources necessary to do these changes.
Are your patrons more concerned with green issues than the average leisure tourist? Are museums held to a different standard?
Absolutely, museums are held to a different standard. Museums are often considered some of the most trustworthy institutions within a given community, and the challenge is they must continue to operate as a business and yet must be mission focused. Often the mission revolves around higher ideals that will include educational goals as well as bettering their local communities. With this in mind, museums are always trying to embrace new best practices and be at the forefront of using available technologies and services; museums, for instance, were very early adopters of biodegradable plates and cups in their food service. (Editor’s note: for more on green food service, turn top. 40.)
How do you see green initiatives impacting museums going forward?
One of the best things about going green is that it usually does involve finding efficiencies and technologies that, over the long haul, will actually save money. For instance, within five years—with almost everyone having access to smartphones by then—museums should be able to create individual map apps as opposed to printing their guide maps by the tens of thousands. Green energy tech may be capital intense, but it will reduce operational costs over the long term. www.mhms.org
Contact Senior Editor Jeremy Schoolfield at
jschoolfield@IAAPA.org.
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