CUMBERLAND, Ohio— AEP Ohio’s forestry program is critical to keeping the power on — making sure that its power lines and equipment are free of trees and brush that could potentially cause outages for customers. For more than a year, the forestry crew's work has served a dual purpose by providing a portion of the trees they regularly trim to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds for the benefit of the animals. Today, members of AEP Ohio’s forestry team visited The Wilds to celebrate the impact of the unique Trim to Treat partnership.
The fresh tree trimmings, branches and twigs — also known as browse — are not only important to the animals’ diets, but also beneficial for enrichment. The forestry team identifies and bundles the fresh tree trimmings, branches and twigs during their normal forestry work in the Zanesville and Cambridge areas — making deliveries to The Wilds as needed — usually on a monthly basis.
“It’s wonderful to see the impact of the Trim to Treat partnership firsthand. As foresters, we love trees, and the opportunity we have to repurpose them to benefit the animals in our community is powerful,” said AEP Ohio forestry manager, Dale Hopkins.
The Trim to Treat partnership has been underway for more than a year now and the impact is significant. Below are a few highlights:
- Over 800 animals benefited from the Trim to Treat partnership.
- The AEP Ohio forestry team has provided a total of 70 miles of fresh tree trimmings to both the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds.
- AEP Ohio forestry has delivered 14 loads of willow tree browse to The Wilds.
- The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium uses 10,000 linear feet of fresh tree trimmings a week for its animals and AEP Ohio provides 6-7,000 feet of it.
“We’re excited about the success of this partnership over the last year and look forward to continuing to work with AEP Ohio’s forestry team to benefit the animals at The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium,” said Dr. Joe Smith, Vice President of The Wilds.
AEP Ohio assesses and trims trees on a four-year cycle to help minimize power outages for its customers, while also keeping in mind the health and beauty of the trees in communities across Ohio.
To learn more about the partnership and how it works, visit AEPOhio.com/Trim-to-Treat.
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About AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 7,100 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2050. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.
About The Wilds
The Wilds, one of the largest conservation centers in North America, is home to rare and endangered animals from around the world along with hundreds of indigenous species. The mission of The Wilds, a nonprofit organization managed by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, is to lead and inspire by connecting people and wildlife. The Wilds is located at 14000 International Road in Cumberland, Ohio, about 90 minutes east of Columbus. Normal hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day from May through September, and on Saturdays and Sundays in October. For more information, visit TheWilds.org.
About the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Home to more than 10,000 animals representing over 600 species worldwide, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium leads and inspires by connecting people and wildlife. The Zoo complex is a recreational and education destination that includes the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay water park and 18-hole Safari Golf Course. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also manages The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio. The Zoo is a regional attraction with global impact, annually contributing privately raised funds to support conservation projects worldwide. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Columbus Zoo has earned Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating.
