By Mentone Parkdale Guides | September 26, 2025
We’re calling on you….
My name is Phoebe. I am 10 years old and am a Girl Guide with the Mentone-Parkdale group. I recently completed my Junior BP Award and as part of the Service Challenge I collected old/used mobile phones for the Save the Gorilla Campaign – They’re Calling on You – which is run by the Melbourne Zoo.
One of the biggest threats to gorillas is the illegal mining of coltan, a mineral used in mobile phones. Coltan mining is destroying the natural habitat of the gorilla. Melbourne Zoo uses the money raised from donated phones to support Gorilla Doctors, an organisation which works to protect Eastern Lowland and Mountain gorillas. Donated phones are refurbished and resold or recycled for their parts, which reduces the demands for coltan mining in threatened gorilla habitat.
I ran the campaign over 2 months and called for donations from my Grade 4 classmates at school, my fellow Girl Guides, my mum and dad’s work, mum’s Book Club and friends and family. It is amazing how many old phones are out there just sitting in drawers and gathering dust. I managed to collect 108 phones for forwarding onto the Zoo!
It’s an easy thing to do – the phones don’t even need to be in working order. So why don’t you consider calling on your friends and help the environment and the gorillas as well!
Phoebe
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