Stone Zoo Moves Forward On Solar Array Project

STONEHAM, MA — Plans to install a series of solar arrays at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham are moving forward, the zoo said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Crews will begin construction soon, the zoo said, completing work to add solar panels over their parking lot off Pond Street in Stoneham.

The project will aim to cut the Stone Zoo’s reliance on fossil fuels by 95%. While the project will require removal of some trees in the existing parking lot landscape, zoo officials have said they plan to replace each tree removed with a new tree elsewhere on zoo property.

“This project aligns with Zoo New England’s mission to protect the natural world right down to its roots,” the zoo said on Wednesday.

The Stone Zoo’s solar panel plans have state backing in the form of a $3 million allocation in a COVID-19 recovery bill finalized in December of last year.

Supporting that allocation, multiple local officials including State Sen. Jason Lewis and State Rep. Michael Day were then in attendance at a recent groundbreaking event at the zoo.

“We are grateful to Senator Jason Lewis and State Representative Michael Day for their support of this green energy project,” the Stone Zoo later said in its statement.