Proposed new education center at the Idaho Falls Zoo

The Idaho Falls city council will vote Thursday to accept a $500,000 donation from the William J. Maeck Foundation in support of a future education center at the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautpheus Park.

According to executive director David Pennock, last year the zoo saw over 130,000 visitors, over 7,700 school students from across the region. The zoo was only able to accommodate 400 students in their current education center due to limited space.

“The programs that we run right now do not work well in the facility we have. Any sort of growth in the future is impossible because we just have the classroom space. We don’t have the facility or the things to support the kind of educational programs you would expect,” Pennock said.

Educational curator for the Idaho Falls Zoo Sunny Katseanes said, “Our current education center is about 140 square feet. Our classes average about 15 to 20 kids.”

With council approval, a brand new education center designed specifically to meet the education needs of the community will be constructed.

The proposed location is near the current zoo administration office. The funds to construct the new center have been raised from abroad group of community supporters and organizers, including the Tautpheus Park Zoological society, which contributed $350,000.

The former Tautpheus Park docent organization contributed almost $24,000. The final gift came from the William J. Maeck Foundation.

“This new center will help shape the future of the zoo,” Pennock said.

The new center would be named after Maeck. The education center will be the first phase of a new zoo master plan. With council approval, the zoo hopes to have the new center open by spring 2018.

To find out details, visit www.idahofallsidaho.gov.