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Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo's PESP Strategy
Describe your Organization’s Five-Year Goals Related to Pesticide Risk Reduction
The Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo is committed to reducing pesticide usage overall due to possible exposure to workers, guests and animals. While we have a very low usage overall currently, we would like to steadily continue moving to a more organic program. We have begun this program focusing on our lawns as those were the areas where we had the highest usage and the greatest potential exposure to our guests. We have already reduced the use herbicides and insecticides as well as inorganic fertilizers through a combination of IPM and better non-chemical management of lawn growth conditions. In five years we would like to have extended this program to our main annual and perennial flower beds as well.
What do you envision doing (broadly) to try to resolve your major issues?
There are solutions available in that we can encourage stronger plant growth through existing organic techniques such as increased use of compost and other treatments when problems do occur, and preselection of resistant varieties of plants. Since our park is primarily for recreation and does not involve large, monocultural stands of plants, it is easier for us to deal with these issues. Also the goals of our organization centers on conservation and sustainability so we have the backing and encouragement of our administration to continue moving in this direction.
Goal 1 and Tactics
Reduce the use of herbicides on lawns by 50% in 5 years.
Tactics
Through IPM monitor weed situations so that eradication is done in problem areas at an earlier stage. Investigate the use of less toxic herbicides that may be effective at earlier stage growth of weeds.
Goal 2 and Tactics
Reduce the use of herbicides and insecticides by 25% in 5 years.
Tactics
Implement IPM to monitor problems. Substitute resistant varieties of plants where available. Record plant varieties and notes on plant treatments for reference as to future selection. Monitor weather conditions and implement preventive treatments in those instances where records indicate that problems are highly likely to occur so that overall infection is reduced.