I had a bit of writer’s block today. It happens sometimes.
The weather was nice, though, and we finished the daily cleaning on time (sometime around 1pm when we regularly serve the chimpanzees their lunch). Some chimps were walking around the perimeter of Young’s Hill with Katelyn (on the outside of the fence, of course) and Chad had just returned from feeding the cattle and mucking their barn. With things settled and quiet around the Chimp House, I decided to drive around the property to capture some photographs of the scenic landscape. The pastures and woods that surround the facility have started to turn emerald green and are even speckled with the first yellow and purple wildflowers of the season.
One thing that is missing from the sanctuary right now is the extended team of people who would normally be enjoying the onset of spring along with us. We typically have fifty volunteers and interns who show up for rotating shifts, and many of them are like family to us. We are following a strict quarantine protocol and are operating with just the core staff, leaving us with just a fraction of the usual personnel. In terms of caregiving, we’re doing just fine– the meals and meds are always served, the enclosures are always cleaned and the chimps are always engaged in one activity or another- but the facility still feels somewhat empty without the all the familiar individuals who help us to care for the chimps and their sanctuary home.
We’ve been working on other ways to keep our community informed and active. Although we aren’t open to the public and we don’t exhibit the chimps (or even the cattle, for that matter), sharing our work is a huge part of this sanctuary’s culture. While that certainly includes communicating special updates and highlighting noteworthy milestones, it also means illustrating the most simple and mundane aspects of life at CSNW. I thought you all might enjoy seeing this little piece of my day: an afternoon cruise around the sanctuary on the John Deere Gator.
Anamaria says
It looks so pretty and warm up there – loved the ride at 2x, that was exhilarating and fun! I seem to recall that none of the Cali chimps have wanted to leave their chute yet, is that still true?
I’m so glad to hear all is going well at CSNW, really enjoying the posts and videos, thanks for taking the time to do them.
Anthony says
The three were curious about the outdoors at first but had a bad experience with the electrified fence just outside the chute. They’ve been more cautious since then and have not yet ventured out into the open space. This is an unfortunate reality of giving chimpanzees access to outdoor spaces, but we’re working on some changes that may help them to feel more secure and confident while keeping them safe. Thanks for following us and for caring about the chimps!
Nancy D says
Anthony, thank you so much for the tour, it was fun to see. Everything is looking so pretty now and I’m looking forward to seeing the expansion.
Anthony says
Thanks, Nancy!
Lynn Gold says
Thx Anthony.that was fun.being home most of the time, I was telling the Lord in prayer…i wish I could go for a ride somewhere.He always answers…but didn’t know I would be in a gator with YOU!Living in Phx it was wonderful seeing this rich green scenery.thx for all you do for these amazing chimps.Take care!
Anthony says
I’m happy you could virtually join me on my cruise! I hope you take care as well.
Barbara H. says
Thank you so much. That was wonderful to see the whole area and be able to
picture just where the sanctuary is and how beautiful the surroundings are.
Very nice indeed. Great job.
Anthony says
Thanks, Barbara!
Elaine Reininger says
Oh Anthony, what a fabulous idea giving us a ride around your grounds during this time when we all feel so alone–Just loved seeing where everything is located Pictures are worth a thousand words.
Anthony says
Thanks for your support, Elaine!
Linda C says
That was a pretty drive indeed, Anthony, thank you. Lol, why do I get the feeling that you used to have an ATV and were missing it!? Don’t go putting any dents in The Boss’s, gator now, ya hear?!
Oh, yeah, and Nutmeg wants seconds…
Anthony says
Hey Linda! I’ve never had an ATV but I’ve used vehicles like the Gator for basic landscaping and farm work during other chapters of my life. And Nutmeg always wants second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper (and probably fourth meal, too).
Sherry P says
Gosh, that was rather dizzying in parts! Such a beautiful property and the views are spectacular! It does appear that there had been some logging in the early section .. I wonder if that was a result of the fires a few years ago, or if the prior owners were clear-cutting?
Anthony says
Sorry about the dizziness! I didn’t consider using the gimbal until I was already processing the video.
Part of the property (from the first section of the video) was scorched by the Taylor Bridge fire. As for past logging, I’m honestly not sure exactly what the story is. The sanctuary landscape is relatively open (consisting of homesteads, pasture, and riparian wetlands at the base of a rocky canyon wall) and the trees are somewhat sparse, so I doubt it was ever used for industrial logging.
Kathleen says
Thanks for the ride Anthony, that was fun! Got me out of my head for a little while. I think the mule deer was a friend of Ellie so she/he had been tipped off that you’re one of the good guys. The sanctuary is located in such a beautiful part of the world. I was hoping Jamie was going to come running out to race you.
I had no idea you had that many volunteers/interns. Fifty! This puts your new situation in perspective. I am astounded by all you accomplish with your core crew. And with that, you still find the time to take us on this lovely gator drive. From the bottom my heart I send you a big love packed Thank You.
Anthony says
Thanks for following along, Kathleen! I was honestly surprised that Jamie and Missy didn’t want to challenge the Gator at that moment in time. And yes, we typically have had a large squad of student interns during the academic year. The rest of the crew are local or Seattle-based volunteers. Our volunteer corps is even larger if you consider those who help with our fundraising events, outreach opportunities, and sporadic work parties.
Pat M says
Thanks, Anthony, for the tour. I enjoyed seeing it and hope at some future time you’d consider a slower, more fully labeled tour. I admit, I had to stop partway, as the wild camera swings at 2x speed caused a bit of vertigo!
Anthony says
Thanks for the feedback, Pat! I’m sorry about the vertigo. The video was a spontaneous idea and, as I was reviewing the edited version, I wished I had used a gimbal to stabilize my phone camera. Honestly, the best way to survey the property is to have JB do a drone tour… 🙂
Mark B. says
Great tour of the property. Thanks. At 4:30 there is what seems to be a paved road or driveway off the the left side. Is that on the property? Where does it go?
Linda C says
They’ll have to answer, but when they did the expansion, didn’t they have to build another access/exit road? (I thought it was a fire safety issue)
Anthony says
Hey, Mark! That’s the energy company’s road that they use to access the adjacent power lines. It connects to our new driveway which they helped us build. As Linda C said, the driveway helps with safety (and daily operations) by enabling larger vehicles to get up the hill to the sanctuary.