It’s now been well over a year since we began the “new normal” style of sanctuary operations.
The objective of these changes has been to mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to the chimpanzees. Of course, the nuclear staff cannot stop interacting with the chimps entirely, so we’ve found other ways to meet their daily needs while maintaining a bubble of safety around them. To facilitate this social “quarantine,” we had to sadly cancel many on-site initiatives powered by our extended community of volunteers, interns, and local supporters.
The need for social distancing hasn’t stopped these people from contributing to the organization on a Major-League level, though.
In a recent blog post, Diana described the remarkable work that our volunteer corps is continuing to do during the pandemic. We know that many of the volunteers and interns would be helping at to take care of the chimps if public health conditions allowed for it, but they’ve found ways to help the sanctuary regardless. Take that, SARS-CoV-2!
Today’s blog is dedicated to the members of Central Washington University’s Primate Awareness Network (PAN), who have provided crucial support this year by planning creative and fun events for the sanctuary. This year, they arranged an art contest and exhibition at Gallery One in Ellensburg and a smash fundraiser at Dru Bru’s new taproom in Cle Elum. They did all this while hosting a virtual primatology conference, collecting enrichment materials for the chimps from locations around town, helping CSNW staff to enter welfare data into the sanctuary’s new database, and continuing their mission of advocating for primate conservation and welfare via social media outreach. Given all they’ve done for us, the least we can do is to thank this year’s PAN cohort of Ashton, Calvin, Carson, Courtney A., Courtney G., Danna, Jenna, Kelsie, Malcolm, Margaux, Riley and Sydney for all their dedication and enthusiasm.
(To learn more about the Primate Awareness Network, check them out on Facebook or @cwu_primate on Instagram and Twitter. You can see flyers and photos from a couple of their recent events below!)
In addition to heartfelt appreciation, we owe some of them cheerful congratulations as well. They’ve all been advancing their respective research projects outside the sanctuary despite the turmoil of the past year, and all of them are embarking on new adventures, including (but not limited to):
Ashton recently co-authored a paper about COVID-19’s effect on wildlife in the journal Mammal Review and began working at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado.
(Fun Fact: CSNW board member Dr. Lori Sheeran is Ashton’s advisor and also co-authored the paper!)
Carson has been accepted into the Applied Anthropology doctoral program at Texas State University where she will study the microbial ecology of free-ranging chimpanzees in Africa.
Jenna has just accepted a full-time caregiver position at fellow NAPSA member sanctuary Center for Great Apes in Florida and will be starting in June.
Riley, after he defends his graduate thesis, will be getting married this summer!
(Jenna suggested I link to his registry but we don’t want to mix it up with our own Wish List, causing Riley and his partner to receive enrichment puzzles and cleaning supplies while the chimps get new bed linens and cookware.)
It’s sad to watch this cohort of students move on without a proper farewell at the sanctuary, but we’re excited to see the places they will go, the things they will do, and the people they will become. Hopefully, local conditions keep trending in the right direction so that we can gradually incorporate volunteers, interns and visitors back into our routine without increasing the risk to the chimps and staff. For now, we’re just happy to express our gratitude for these people and the time they’ve donated to the sanctuary!
Wonderful to hear of young people following the footsteps of great ape lovers before them.
It is always surprising to me that most people know nothing about great apes or their plight- Both in the wild and in captivity. But then I didn’t know anything either, until I did. Now every guest I have watches videos and movies with me. Because they want to share with me something that I love. And they are shocked and amazed at what they didn’t know.
Many of us do our part by following the blog and making our donations, but it’s important to share our passion with those who don’t know. And especially young people who will need to carry the torch.
Bless your young friends in all their varied new adventures
“But then I didn’t know anything either, until I did.”
I think this sentence accurately describes my life so far, Paulette. 🙂
I’m glad that you’re also helping nonhumans by advocating for them and educating others! Thanks for following and supporting us!
LOL !
Well, none of us know what we don’t know. Otherwise we would know it 😉
Congratulations to all of the talented humans who have been so important to the primate community in Cle Elum and those around the world…………..
Thanks, “t”!
: )
Congratulations to all of the grads!
Thanks to all of the volunteers!
Lucky those who live in WA and were able to snag some of those pint glasses!
Thanks, Linda!
Haha, the pint glasses were briefly available online! If it makes you feel better, I didn’t get one either. 😀
VERY briefly! Never saw them when I looked at new merch! Hope they make a comeback!
It is so wonderful to know that CSNW provides great learning opportunities for students on the Pacific North-West when it comes to Chimpanzees.
And for me, who lives on the other side of the globe, it is reasuring to know there are a lot of people that take care of the practicle business of sanctuary by voluntering.
Thank you all so very much
We’re extremely lucky to have the nation’s only primatology program located nearby, and even luckier that so many amazing students want to help the chimps during their time there, whether it directly advances their own research projects or not. They make sure the sanctuary caregivers are never alone in their efforts to help the chimps!
I am a happy to have purchased merchandise from the art contest (two of my favorite passions, art and CSNW!) The contest was a fun way to raise awareness and now my items will continue to raise awareness…. clearly people will ask why I have colorful illustration of a chimpanzee on my dish towel, right?!
Best of luck to all of you! I am inspired by your desires to continue on your compassionate and scientific career paths. Jane Goodall urges us to “use the gift of our life to make the world a better place”. I am filled with hope knowing you will do this.
“clearly people will ask why I have colorful illustration of a chimpanzee on my dish towel, right?”
What a great ice-breaker for parties! <:D Thanks, Kathleen!
“clearly people will ask why I have colorful illustration of a chimpanzee on my dish towel, right?”
Yes!!!