Local First News

At Reid Park Zoo, protecting wildlife isn't something that happens only inside an animal habitat.

It influences how buildings are constructed. How landscapes are planted. What gets composted. How products are purchased. And even how much water flows through a sink, toilet or pool. That connection between mission and operations is one reason Reid Park Zoo has earned a renewed Green Business Certification from Local First Arizona.

Shifting economic priorities means changing the policies, market conditions and systems that determine who has access to opportunity, resources and economic power. For Local First Arizona, that means helping locally owned businesses build collective leverage, removing structural barriers and creating more ways for Arizona communities to benefit from the wealth generated here.

Since Local First Arizona brought Green Business Boot Camp to the Verde Valley in 2023, participants have developed projects to conserve water throughout their operations. Through a partnership with Friends of the Verde River, more than $150,000 in River Friendly Living grants have helped Boot Camp graduates put water-saving projects into action — with an estimated 17 million gallons in annual water savings.

For Indigenous entrepreneurs like PGA Professional Cesar Balgañon II, access to capital can open doors to business growth, new industries and opportunities for the next generation. See how Local First Arizona’s Rooted Relative Fund is helping expand economic opportunity through relationship-based lending.