Our wish for the project is to keep used fire hose out of landfills and use it to make habitat enrichment items for the animals at two of our local zoos. The zoos don't have a lot of money to spend on this and the landfills already have too much in them. We will learn about how the animals like toys and other things in their zoo habitats. We also hope the fire stations will see that they can give the fire hose to the zoos in the future.
The used fire hose was located and the zoos contacted during the mapping stage. For the project, the students will get the fire hose and make it into enrichment items and recycle the metal couplings on the ends. They will keep a record of the amount of fire hose they collect. They will weigh the metal couplings on the hose that they recycle. This will tell them how much material they kept out of landfills. They will record how many enrichment items they were able to make and for what animals. They will ask the zoo keepers about how much these items would cost if they could by them to see how much they were able to save the zoo. They will see the animals enjoy the browsers and toys! Week 1: Schedule when we can get the fire hose from fire departments. Week 2: Pick up the fire hose and buy the hardware and tools we need. Week 3: Make the browser and toys. Week 4: Take the browsers, toys, toys and any extra fire hose to the zoos, celebrate, and report to the Roots and Shoots website!
