William R. Orthwein, Jr. & Laura Rand Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center

Many years of dreaming, planning and building went into the Saint Louis Zoo's William R. Orthwein, Jr. & Laura Rand Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center which opened its doors on June 21, 2007. On a hot, muggy evening more than three hundred people gathered for the donor preview of the new Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center.

The 10,000 square foot Animal Nutrition Center replaces the Zoo's 50-year-old, 2,400 square foot Commissary building and incorporates fully modern equipment providing considerable savings in resources and effort through significantly expanded storage capacity and food preparation areas. "For anyone who has seen our old Commissary, the Animal Nutrition Center is truly a dream come true and initiates a real milestone for the Saint Louis Zoo as it continues its tradition of leadership in providing the very best in animal care," explained Jeffrey P. Bonner, Zoo President & CEO. "We are grateful to Bill and Laura Orthwein that they shared our vision of a new, modern Animal Nutrition Center." The Orthweins made the lead gift of $1.5 million toward the $5.3 million project.

Every year the Zoo's animals, from Asian elephants to meerkats, require many tons of bulk food products. These include 10 tons of carrots, 15 tons of mackerel, and millions of crickets annually, while 19 tons of hay and 12 tons of other grains are distributed to our herbivores every month. Specialized items such as salad mixes for reptiles, frozen treats for polar bears, and essential vitamin supplements must also be prepared. Early each day the Zoo's Animal Nutrition Department works diligently to make sure the dietary needs of these and many other species are met. Now, the Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center gives our professional staff everything they need to perform these many and challenging tasks.

The Animal Nutrition Department prepares and distributes nutritious, diverse foodstuffs to the entire animal collection, which consists of 800 species with 22,805 individual specimens. The Mary Ann Lee Animal Nutrition Center Kitchen serves as the hub of these activities and a showcase for the culinary art and science of zoo nutrition. A transparent glass wall and wide paved pathway provide visitors to the Zoo the chance to observe the Animal Nutrition Department staff performing their work in the kitchen.

In addition to food storage and preparation, the Animal Nutrition Center will finally have a dedicated research laboratory to perform the challenging work of replicating diets found in the wild. Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld, Animal Nutritionist, will lead these efforts. "I'm looking forward to transforming the Zoo into a national center that will further the entire field of zoological nutrition," enthused Ellen.

The Orthwein Nutrition Center's sleek, modern design incorporates many green design features making it one of only a handful of buildings in the St. Louis area to receive the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. Energy efficient and environmentally friendly features, including a green roof composed of a mixture of colorful sedum (succulent all-weather plant) species and grasses, optimized heating and cooling systems, plus the extensive use of natural light and recycled materials, will ensure compliancy with the LEED rating systems.

Outside, the building is surrounded by gardens including a medicinal plant garden with plants and herbs with pharmaceutical uses given by the friends of the Orthweins, the Plant Science Gardens, a gift of the Monsanto Fund, and a topiary garden with a series of sculpted animal-themed frames featuring flowing vines, a gift of the David B. Lichtenstein Foundation.

The addition of the Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center is one of the most important in the Zoo's history. It will contribute to the Zoo on many different levels, offering a more efficient facility, healthier and longer-lived animals, and further improvements to the already unsurpassed experience we offer our visitors. It will impact the entire institution and make a real difference for the thousands of animals at the Zoo.