Who would have thought we'd be so excited about Zoo poo?

As it turns out, animal manure is helping us grow healthier gardens, reduce waste, and support sustainability across Assiniboine Park.

Since launching in May 2024, our Zoo Manure Diversion Program, in partnership with Catapult Environmental, has become an exciting example of sustainability in action. By turning organic material into compost, the program supports healthier gardens and helps create a circular system that benefits the Park from the ground up.

From Zoo Poo to Compost

Since the program began, more than 1,200 tons of Zoo manure and green waste from the Park have been diverted from landfill. Today, nearly all compostable manure produced at the Zoo is redirected for composting.

“As anyone who’s spent time around animals knows, everybody poops,” said Dr. Chris Enright, Senior Director of Zoological Operations Animal Management and Conservation, Assiniboine Park Conservancy. “What’s exciting is how a routine part of animal care can be transformed into something that supports healthier gardens and broader sustainability across the Park.”

Catapult Environmental collects the material and transforms it into nutrient-rich compost, which is returned to the soil, where it can continue supporting new growth.

Closing the Loop

This spring marked an exciting milestone for the program: the compost came home!

Approximately 60 cubic yards of finished compost were returned to Assiniboine Park and incorporated into the Kitchen Garden at The Leaf, the Enrichment Garden at the Volunteer Centre, and a variety of planters across the Park.

"This project shows how connected our Park really is," said Gerald Dieleman, Senior Director of Horticulture, Assiniboine Park Conservancy. "The nutrients that begin with animal food at the Zoo are helping grow gardens across the Park, and in some cases, those plants eventually return to the animals as feed or enrichment. Watching that cycle come full circle is incredibly rewarding."

A Team Effort

Turning Manure into a valuable resource takes teamwork.

Staff in the Zoo, Horticulture, Forestry, and Grounds departments, as well as our volunteers, all play an important role in sorting and preparing materials for composting.

In addition, this initiative is part of a larger composting network. Assiniboine Park Conservancy is one of several organizations contributing organic material to Catapult Environmental. As a result, the compost we receive is not made exclusively from Zoo or Park materials, and some of the material we contribute may help support projects elsewhere.

From Poo to Purpose

From goats in the Zoo to gardens across the Park, this program shows how a natural part of animal care can help nourish the soil and support new growth. By returning valuable nutrients to the earth, we’re creating healthier landscapes and taking meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.

And if you ask us, that's a pretty good outcome for a pile of poo.