The Toronto Zoo Makes it Official
ZooShare Biogas Co-operative Inc. is thrilled to announce that we have signed Lease and Operating Agreements with the Toronto Zoo to build and operate a biogas plant at the location of their current composting facility.
With this signing we officially welcome the Zoo to ZooShare, with a seat on our Board of Directors and a commitment to contribute 10% of annual earnings to the Zoo’s Development Fund. In exchange, ZooShare has secured the needed land and Zoo poo for at least 20 years, but likely more.
This is a key milestone that we’ve been working hard towards together with Zoo staff, that will further help us in securing a Feed-in Tariff contract with the OPA.
“We couldn’t be happier to be growing together with the Toronto Zoo – it’s one of the leading conservation organizations in the world. The people who work at the Zoo share our love of animals and the environment, and we’re excited to support them while the poo supports us” – Daniel Bida, Executive Director of ZooShare.
“The ZooShare Biogas partnership will incorporate a unique community funding model that will showcase waste management best practices to the public, that closely aligns with the Toronto Zoo’s education, and sustainable environmental programs” – John Tracogna, Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Zoo.
“The Zoo is proud to be part of a such an exciting, innovative project. Reducing the Zoo’s carbon footprint while creating new revenue streams and reducing costs is a win-win. We looking forward to ZooShare bringing this project to fruition.” – Joe Torzsok, Chairman of the Toronto Zoo
“I’m excited to come to the Toronto Zoo this Spring and make my daily bamboo-poo contribution to one of the world’s first zoo biogas plants!”- Er Shun, Giant Panda.
Nine Founders’ Club Spots Remaining!
We’ve sold 16 of our Founders’ Club bonds ($10,000+) and only nine remain. If you, or someone you know, would like to earn 11%+ annual return over a three year term, please get in touch or share their contact info and we’ll be happy to alert them to this lucrative triple-bottom line opportunity!
Property Owners Needed for F.I.T. Application
In order to comply with the latest changes to the Feed-in Tariff program, ZooShare will be collecting signatures from 50 property owners in the City of Toronto over the next couple months to include with our FIT application. If you’ve owned your home or condo in the City for more than two years, in whole or in part, please send us an email to become a Designated Property Owner.
For more information about the Feed-in Tariff program, please check out the Ontario Power Authority website
Putting Sheep Sh*t to Work in Rwanda!
ZooShare Biogas Co-operative loves to promote others that recognize the true value of poo!
One such organization is The Sh*t Starts Here, an initiative started by Canadians Rita and Jeff Rayman. Travels in Rwanda alerted them to the years of over-farming and deforestation that has depleted nutrients from the soil in that country, decreasing crop yields and making it difficult for subsistence farmers who cannot afford man-made fertilizer.
Knowing that manure from sheep is a natural fertilizer that significantly improves the fertility of farmed soil, the Raymans began an initiative in September 2010; working with established cooperatives, The Sh*t Starts Here provides each farmer with a female sheep, and access to males for studding. Natural fertilizer from the sheep helps the farmer’s crop yields and once he has his quota of 3 females (and a sufficient number of males shared by the cooperative), his next sheep is passed on to a farmer in another cooperative, and the benefits cycle throughout the community.
The Raymans are adamant that The Sh*t Starts Here is not a charity but rather, an opportunity…a hand up, not a hand out. Learn more about this project and check out their blog.
If you know of an initiative that is putting poo to work, let us know and we’ll feature it in an upcoming ZooShare newsletter.