Zoo Boise seeks donations for New Orleans institute

Zoo Boise is asking visitors to "Answer Nature's Call" and help out a New Orleans zoo trying to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

As part of an ongoing "Answer Nature's Call" fund-raiser for the Audubon Institute in New Orleans, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina, Zoo Boise is asking people to bring their old cell phones and cash donations to its annual Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo, Sunday. The Institute includes the Audubon Zoo, the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species and the Aquarium of the Americas, which lost most of its 6,000 animals in the storm.

"Here you have organizations that could potentially be competitors, but it's not looked at it in that way," Zoo Boise Director Steve Burns said. "It's looked at that all zoos are working cooperatively toward one goal."

The Zoo Boise effort is part of a program organized by ECO-CELL, a Kentucky-based organization that collects old cell phones to redistribute to people and organizations in need and recycle phones that no longer work. Visitors can bring donations any time the zoo is open.

Burns said the devastation wrought on the Audubon Institute sent ripples throughout the zoo community.

"It's not only a blow to them, but it's a blow to the whole industry," he said.

Help from around the nation — be it donated money or crickets to feed certain reptiles — has been critical to the Audubon Institute in the aftermath of the hurricane, Audubon Zoo spokeswoman Sarah Burnette said.

"In the days after the storm I'm just not sure we could have made it without help from zoos across the countries," she said.

Burnette said getting help from places as far away as Boise shows the solidarity of the zoo community and is key to the institute reaching its goal of raising $60 million to rebuild.

"It's just a great example of how the zoo community pulls together and helps one another," she said. "We hope one day to be able to return the favor."

Some people have questioned why Zoo Boise doesn't channel its efforts to organizations like the Red Cross, which more directly help people affected by the hurricane, Burns said. But the Audubon Institute is a vital part of both the economy and community of New Orleans, he said.

"If we want to rebuild New Orleans and help out New Orleans, we have to make sure we can provide and restore some of these resources in places that were important to the city of New Orleans," Burns said. "Considering there were people and staff who work at the Audubon Institute we are helping people as well."

For more information on how to help the Audubon Institute, visit www.auduboninstitute.org or www.cityofboise.org/parks/zoo/.