Conservation Projects Receive Funding

Contact: Gayle Valentine, Executive Director Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation 334-2648 Healthy habitat is the focus of the 2004 grant awards from the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Board members awarded more than $12,000 in grant funds at their quarterly winter meeting. Grant recipients include the Pocatello Zoo, Sawtooth Botanical Garden and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The Pocatello Zoo received nearly $5,000 for an educational exhibit that will allow eastern Idaho children to learn while they climb a tree! The "Every Tree Tells a Story" Tree House will help kids understand the life cycle of trees and the significant role trees play in providing animal habitat. Built around a mature poplar, the two-story tree house will include interactive displays designed to encourage young visitors to play and explore. The foundation grant will pay for educational materials. The Sawtooth Botanical Garden in Sun Valley received $2,500 toward development of an outdoor classroom for hands-on science education. A streamside garden will serve as an example of a thriving ecosystem, allowing students and other visitors to learn about healthy waterways and how they benefit wildlife. The foundation grant will pay for design and installation of interpretive panels. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game received $5,000 for a statewide river otter health study. Since river otters primarily eat fish, their health reflects the overall health of the rivers and creeks they call home. The animals are highly sensitive to pollution and easily accumulate high levels of mercury and pesticides. The foundation grant will pay for toxin screening of river otters throughout the state. "These projects are in keeping with the foundation's mission to sustain our state's incredible outdoor legacy for future generations," says Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Gayle Valentine. "They emphasize conservation education and that's a message we carry to every corner of Idaho." The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1990 to protect and sustain Idaho's fishing, hunting and wildlife heritage. Board members represent each region of the state. Editor's note: For photographs to accompany this release, contact Ed Mitchell by email at emitchell@idfg.state.id.us IDFG 2-2-04