Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1518745
SPRING 2024 • THE ASSINIBOIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 25 generation and energy use in the park. She works on waste diversion and promotes engagement around sustainability events like the commuter challenge and plastic-free July. She explains that there is so much going on behind the scenes to keep the park's 400 acres healthy and operating sustainably. The Park The park features picnic sites, sports fields, a fitness trail, a playground and various gardens. At the Qualico Family Centre, you will find a green roof that provides shade and removes heat from the air. Many of the buildings in the park have bird-friendly dots on the windows to help reduce bird collisions. All three of the park's restaurants, Gather Craft Kitchen & Bar, the Park Café and Tundra Grill, are all certified green restaurants under the Green Restaurant Association, which looks at everything from the flow rate of the taps to the percentage of vegetarian food on the menu. "Something that isn't very visible, but is really cool, is that several of our buildings are heated with ground source heat pumps. This pump pulls mild heat out of the ground," explains Prokopanko. "One spot where you can see this is the Tundra Grill within the zoo. You'll see these little circular vents in the floor - where some of the heat comes from that ground source heat pump. We don't use supplemental heat for that building, so all warmth is generated on site." We have an education team, and they work to engage the public on how to better care for the natural environment and help people form that connection to nature. Within our operational policies, we encourage sustainable procure- ment, and we track various data streams so that we can have a sense of what our environmental impact looks like. Teresa Prokopanko, Sustainability Coordinator, Assiniboine Park Conservancy The Assiniboine Park Conservancy offers specialized recycling programs for batteries, cork, plastic cards, and holiday lights. Party for the Planet celebrations are held annually in honour of Earth Day. Family-friendly activities help raise awareness about conservation and environmental sustainability.