When Akron zookeepers bring out branches for goats, lemurs, and tufted deer, the scene is filled with laughter and smiles from both animals and children. This joyful interaction is made possible through a collaboration with FirstEnergy, which provides local zoos in northeast and northwest Ohio with nutritious branches and buds.
The branches are collected as part of FirstEnergy’s routine vegetation management program. The company’s forestry workers trim trees to prevent power outages caused by vegetation interfering with power lines. “This unique collaboration allows us to repurpose the trimmings generated by our day-to-day operations to benefit the beloved animals at the Akron Zoo,” said FirstEnergy Forestry Services Manager Tara Weckerly. She added that this initiative is a source of pride for the company, headquartered in Akron.
Each week, the Akron Zoo collects these trimmings—referred to as browse—from various locations around greater Akron. The browse consists of sticks, leaves, and buds that are high in fiber and crucial for the animals’ diet. Chewing on them also aids dental health.
Shane Good, senior director of animal care at Akron Zoo, expressed gratitude for this new partnership: “We are very grateful and excited for this new collaboration with FirstEnergy,” he said. The partnership has enabled the zoo to expand its browse program significantly, ensuring a steady supply of natural food sources that improve animal wellbeing.
Before teaming up with FirstEnergy, the zoo could only collect browse intermittently from its grounds—a method not viable long-term. Now they can provide sufficient browse daily to their animals like lemurs, tufted deer, alpacas, and goats.
FirstEnergy extends its support beyond Akron by occasionally donating browse to Toledo Zoo and helping Cleveland Zoo collect it when trimming on Metroparks property.
For more information about FirstEnergy’s corporate responsibility efforts or media inquiries contact Hannah Catlett at 440-554-5346.
