In 2023, the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo underwent a significant renovation. Environmentally conscious decisions were made to adhere to the robust California Green Building Standards Code and maintain the integrity of our mission to conservation.
As the City of Palo Alto owns and operates the JMZ (since 1943), we are actively involved in supporting and promoting the progressive energy and natural resource policies of the City. By 2020, Palo Alto had already reduced GHG emissions by 51% since 1990, and we are eager to assist with the City’s goal of an 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.
Several of the City of Palo Alto initiatives the JMZ currently undertakes include:
100% carbon-neutral electricity from power purchases from renewable and hydroelectric sources
100% carbon-neutral natural gas from buying carbon offsets to balance emissions from natural gas use
Electrified natural gas appliances (Water heating, HVAC units)
Local heating pumps are on timers (except for animal enclosures)
Installing solar panels as a source of energy
Installed automatic motion sensor light switches to save energy
Installed EV charging infrastructure in our parking lot
More EV charging stations are planned as of 2026
The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo follows the City’s Zero Waste Plan with a goal of 95% diversion of materials from landfills by 2030. Waste reduction through product changes, recycling, composting, and material use reduction to divert waste from landfills.
Followed the City’s low-carbon concrete standards during the renovation
Met CalGreen Codes, State of California building codes that meet LEED Silver Certification
Building windows are double-glazed for increased energy efficiency
Roofing material reflects light off of the rooftop
Water use reduction beyond the State’s mandated reduction requirements
The City of Palo Alto Utilities’ drought response programs reduced water use by 24% in 2015 compared with 2013 levels
Installed green stormwater infrastructure such as bioswales that capture and replenish the aquifer
Water reuse through participating in the Pervious Pavement Rebate Program. Planning to be involved in the City’s Graywater Laundry-to-Landscape Rebate Program, which will use treated greywater for irrigation once off-site piping is put in place
Planted drought-tolerant plants to reduce water use
Built local biocapacity by increasing tree canopy
Enhancing pollinator habitat by including native plants and pollinator plants in the landscaping
The mission of Open Space is to protect and interpret the resources and wildlife entrusted to Palo Alto for the enjoyment of future generations. The preserves offer trails from the marshes of the bay to the redwoods of the Santa Cruz mountains.
Bound by Mountain View and East Palo Alto, the 1,940-acre Baylands Preserve is one of the largest tracts of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay. Fifteen miles of multi-use trails provide access to a unique mixture of tidal and freshwater habitats. It has some of the last remaining salt marsh and mud flat habitats on the west coast and offers excellent birding year-round.
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve is a beautiful mixture of rolling grassland and broadleaf evergreen forest. Each area of the preserve has something different: views of the bay, a quiet grassland stroll, or a snooze by the lake.
Esther Clark Nature Preserve is a good place for quiet meditation or watching the sun set.
Foothills Nature Preserve is a 1,400-acre preserve with rugged chaparral, woodland, fields, and a lake. Hike on 15 miles of trail, have a picnic or enjoy spectacular views of the bay from Vista Hill.
Palo Alto set a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, and adopted the 2022 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan in June 2023 to guide that work.
The plan outlines how the City will reduce emissions, protect the environment, prepare for climate impacts, and improve quality of life for residents. It takes a broad approach to sustainability, covering both climate mitigation and adaptation across eight areas: Climate Action, Energy, Mobility, Electric Vehicles, Water, Climate Adaptation and Sea Level Rise, Natural Environment, and Zero Waste.
The S/CAP has current initiatives such as the Electrify My Home program, rebates for sustainable landscaping, and the Horizontal Levee Pilot Project. Visit the Sustainability's home page to learn more.
The Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board (YCAB) is an advisory body of high school students founded in 2024 and dedicated to environmental sustainability and climate stewardship. Members contribute to and provide feedback on Palo Alto’s climate initiatives and policies and bring Citywide sustainability efforts to local high schools. The YCAB was developed in partnership with the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition.
Zero Waste is a holistic approach to managing the flow of resources through society in a closed loop system (circular economy) rather than a linear one. While Zero Waste includes the traditional hierarchy of reducing, reusing and recycling, it is much more. Zero Waste principles provide guidance on how resources are managed, from product design through ultimate disposal. Zero Waste is about designing products and packaging to minimize waste, creating incentives to encourage clean and sustainable products and processes, fostering both producer and consumer responsibility, investing in resource recovery facilities, strengthening local economies, and building community collaboration.
The City of Palo Alto is a leader in Zero Waste. In 2005, the City adopted a Zero Waste goal of 90% diversion of waste from landfills by 2021. The City’s Zero Waste Operational Plan, adopted in 2007, identified a number of initiatives that will help Palo Alto reach its Zero Waste goal. The City has implemented the major initiatives identified in the plan, including:
A Zero Waste collection contract
Universal roll-out of recycling and composting to all customers
Regional organics processing
Construction debris diversion requirements
Regional construction debris processing
Use of emerging technology
Learn more about the City's Zero Waste program and our policies.