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Brew for the Birds!


Posted by Zoo Corps

Shade-grown coffee is coffee that’s grown under the rain forest canopy and usually on family-owned farms with traditional methods (without chemicals). Leaving the existing rain forest intact protects the coffee plants from the weather and keeps the soil healthy. This practice also provides habitat for local wildlife and shelter for migrating birds. Some of these birds even visit us here! Tanagers, Warblers, Thrushes, Rufous Hummingbirds, Flycatchers, Vireos, Purple Martins, Sparrows, and many others are all birds that spend their winters in South American coffee territory and have been seen around the zoo during the summer. These birds are among those celebrated in May’s International Migratory Bird Day (http://www.birdday.org/)!

If you’re interested in supporting ethical farming and protecting migratory birds, check out http://www.shadecoffee.org/, and look for Bird Friendly or Rainforest Alliance certified products in your local supermarket. You can also find certified shade-grown coffee in our Zoo Store!

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