The Director of Boise's zoo announced today that they will give $100,000 to replant native vegetation in the area burned by the Table Rock Fire in the Boise Foothills.
Zoo Director Steve Burns says the money will come from the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund.
Over the last nine years, zoo visitors have generated about $2 million in the fund for wildlife conservation. A portion of each zoo entry fee goes into the fund.
The money has been used all over, including in Vietnam and Mozambique. But Burns says this is a chance to help animals that live close to home.
“When we saw the results of the fire on Table Rock we looked at this as the perfect opportunity for the Zoo and our visitors to be able to help protect animals right here in our backyard,” says Burns.
The Table Rock Fire burned more than 2,500 acres in the Foothills on June 30. Officials says it was caused by illegal fireworks.
Burns says it will take years to restore the burned area. Seeds and seedlings will start to be planted next spring.
“In order to push back the invasives, the cheatgrass, the Medusa Head, all of those, it’s going to take human intervention and it’s going to take the planting of native seeds and so we wanted to get involved,” says Burns.
Burns says as many as 400 different species of animals lived at Table Rock and the money will help restore the animals to the landscape.
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