'Zoo Doo' Season Begins This Month In Seattle

SEATTLE — In. one of the surest signs of spring's pending arrival, Woodland Park Zoo's popular "Zoo Doo" will be available for orders and pickups later this month, and gardeners will have several more chances to score through July.

The popular compost is locally produced by several species of herbivores that call Woodland Park home, from tapirs and mountain goats to rhinos, hippos and giraffes. Described as "sweet and aromatic," zoo officials say the blend is especially effective for those growing vegetables and annuals.

"The nutrient-filled Zoo Doo is a great way to garden clean and healthy for the benefit of pollinators and other local wildlife and is a sustainable green choice," the zoo writes. "The compost is so extraordinary that the zoo's horticulture experts also use it throughout the zoo in its award-winning animal habitats and other landscaped areas."

Woodland Park Zoo has provided the community with its special doo. for close to four decades, and an overhaul in 2019 allowed for the program to expand with support from Microsoft.

Preorders are open now for pickups at the zoo on Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Here are the prices:

• 25 gallons - $15
• 50 gallons - $30
• 70 gallons - $40
• 100 gallons - $50
• Small truck (300 gallons) - $80
• Medium truck (400 gallons) - $100
• Large truck (550 gallons) - $120

Gardeners in need of smaller amounts of Zoo Doo or Worm Doo can order them by the pint year-round on the zoo's web store.