Those limbs and leaves trimmed away from the power lines leading to your house are helping make animals at the Birmingham Zoo feel more at home.

Through a new partnership between Alabama Power and the zoo, animals will enjoy locally sourced food. Building on both organizations’ commitment to conservation, the limbs and branches cut from Alabama Power’s tree-trimming program will be used to feed and comfort animals at the zoo.

“The Birmingham Zoo is essential to the quality of life and growth of the city of Birmingham,” said Jonathan Porter, vice president of Alabama Power’s Birmingham Division.

“Through this partnership, Alabama Power is excited to support the zoo in this sustainable project.”

Earlier this year, Carion Neal, animal nutrition center manager for the zoo, learned of zoos across the country that are working with utility companies for browse. Browse is comprised of limbs and branches and can be used in a variety of ways for zoo animals.

Animals feast on fresh tree trimmings from Alabama Power at the Birmingham Zoo. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter) Animals feast on fresh tree trimmings from Alabama Power at the Birmingham Zoo. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter) Animals feast on fresh tree trimmings from Alabama Power at the Birmingham Zoo. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter) Carion Neal, Birmingham Zoo animal nutrition center manager, left, talks about distributing tree trimmings to animals. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter) Carion Neal, Birmingham Zoo animal nutrition center manager, says locally sourced tree trimmings are used as everything from food to mulch at the zoo. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter) Animals feast on fresh tree trimmings from Alabama Power at the Birmingham Zoo. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter) Animals feast on fresh tree trimmings from Alabama Power at the Birmingham Zoo. (Wynter Byrd/Alabama NewsCenter)

As part of the company’s vegetation management tree-trimming program, Alabama Power employees remove limbs and branches daily from rights-of-way near power lines.

Through tree trimming, the company is able to further protect the people near power lines as well as keep electric service reliable.

“We trim trees throughout the state for the safety and reliability for our system,” said Corey Sweeny, manager of Alabama Power’s vegetation management department. “All of the browse the zoo will receive is from native species here in Alabama.”

The browse the zoo is receiving is from the Birmingham area and will be delivered on an as-needed basis.

“Browse is important for our animals because it provides them with fresh nutrients, fresh greens and a lot of vitamins. They also enjoy having a different type of food item they can enjoy on a regular basis,” Neal said.

This browse will be used in a variety of ways throughout the zoo. Some will be given to animals, including elephants and barn species, as part of their dietary regimen. Additionally, it will be given to some birds to use for building nests and to other animals as an enrichment item.

“It’s not always something they can eat. Sometimes different departments will use it for propping exhibits, perching for birds,” Neal said. Even wood chippings we can use as mulch that we can spread down and use as bedding for the animals. We get a lot of uses out of the browse that is delivered to us.”

Birmingham Zoo animals enjoy Alabama Power tree trimmings from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

In addition to making use of the trees and limbs, the browse delivery will be cost-saving for the zoo.

“This initiative shows how the zoo strives to fulfill its mission daily to inspire passion for the natural world, and emphasizes conservation,” said William Foster, president and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo. “Making use of these items that would otherwise be discarded is a tremendous mutual benefit for the Birmingham Zoo and for Alabama Power Company. We are thankful for community partnerships and look forward to the future of this initiative.”

About 950 animals of 230 species call the Birmingham Zoo home, including sea lions, zebras, rhinos and endangered species from six continents.

For both the zoo and Alabama Power, the program is an exciting way to partner for a greater cause.

“We are focused on serving our communities. It is great to see a mutually beneficial program where we are able to provide brush and limbs from our tree-trimming program with the animal nutrition program at the Birmingham Zoo,” said Sweeney.

For more information about the Birmingham Zoo, visit www.birminghamzoo.com. Learn more about Alabama Power’s tree-trimming program and the Right Tree Right Place program at http://www.alabamapower.com/community/electric-safety/tree-trimming.asp.