GULF SHORES, Ala. — This year Gulf Shores Middle School's Citizens Environmental Organization has started a great new program called, “Saving Fruit.”

Wil Tuggle is a seventh-grade life science teacher and is the sponsor of the CEO.  He said that whenever students are finished with their lunch and they're about to throw their tray away, look again. There might be some leftover fruit on your tray you did not eat.

If so, please drop it in the cooler or the box beside the trash cans. These delicious fruits are for the animals at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. Tuggle said he usually takes the fruit on Friday.

All can help by watching what we are going to throw away, and judging if it could be useful later. The reason the school is doing this is because the zoo is a member of our community and it’s our job to help the businesses and other parts of our community.

Tuggle said this great idea was thought up by one of the custodians, Pete Keasberry. 

Keasberry said “Well I would like to see that instead of the fruit being wasted. This way, we get to use it and since the zoo is so close that we can  deliver it to them right away and they can use it.”

Mr. Tuggle has an assistant named Brandi Greiner.  Brandi is a seventh-grader. She thought this was a great idea and wanted to help him. Brandi's says “I believe that this program is going to go great because, it wastes less food and it also helps the zoo so they won't have to spend more money on produce, and I know the zoo and the animals will be very thankful.” If you have any untouched fruit, you know what to do with it.