Museums & Attractions

• The Denver Zoo recently broke ground for an upcoming exhibit, Asian Tropics. Occupying 10 acres on the southern edge of the zoo, Asian Tropics will be a $50 million conservation center devoted to highly endangered Asian species including elephants, Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs. Denver Zoo is seeking LEED certification for the exhibit and plans are also in place to power the exhibit with a biomass gasification system, which will convert animal waste and human trash into a usable combustible gas. Construction of the new exhibit will take two years to complete. The zoo will remain open throughout construction. For more information, call 303. 376.4800 or visit www.denverzoo.org.
• For adrenaline-charged team building, the Trapeze School of New York (TSNY) Los Angeles, located at the Santa Monica Pier, teaches participants how to swing through the air on the flying trapeze. TSNY Los Angeles can customize team-building workshops for groups from 10 to 250 or more, including lessons and competitions in trapeze. Other options include competitions in sword fighting, rope climbing, trampoline, juggling, spinning plates, hula hoop and stilt-walking. Groups can add to any program lunch, dinner, cocktails and the Aerial Show Extravaganza performed by
  the TSNY Los Angeles pros. For more information, call 310.394.5800 or visit http://losangeles.trapezeschool.com.
• The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History will be presenting Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales from May 16 to Aug. 8. The collection features a group of 19th and early 20th century paintings assembled between 1908 and 1923 by sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, with an emphasis on Realist and Impressionist art. Artists represented include Cezanne, Daumier, Manet, Millet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir and Van Gogh, with a total of some 55 paintings and five Impressionist works on paper. The exhibition will explore the stylistic innovations that shaped the art of the 19th century. For more information, call 505.243.7255 or visit www.cabq.gov/museum.

Kudos

• The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino was recently recognized with the Award of Excellence by Keep the Sierra Green, a regional green business recognition and award program. The Keep the Sierra Green Sustainability & Waste Reduction Business Recognition Program judges on five categories: solid waste reduction, pollution prevention, energy conservation, water conservation and energy awareness. In 2008 the resort recycled over 151 tons of waste, with a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 70 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of keeping 53 cars off the road per year. Air emissions were reduced by 108.7 tons and over 182 barrels of diesel fuel were saved by oil recycling.

  Over the past year, the resort reduced electrical consumption by 35 percent. Food and beverage operations utilize sustainable, organically grown ingredients wherever possible, take-out containers and cutlery are biodegradable and compostable, and cooking oil is recycled as heating oil. The resort also formed a green team to move the property toward progressively sustainable operations. For more information, call 775.832.1234 or visit www.laketahoe.hyatt.com or visit Keep the Sierra Green at http://keepthesierragreen.org.