Hi everyone – my name is Dusty. I’m not a new caregiver to the sanctuary, but I am new to writing the blog (outside of my one-time volunteer guest appearance).
My passion for animals began when I was a child caring for my dog, Peanuts, and my guinea pig, Squeaky. I dreamed of being a vet however my career took me down a path in the technology industry. To stay close to animals I volunteered with the Snoqualmie Valley Pet Food Bank, Conservation Northwest’s citizen wildlife monitoring program, and Seattle Humane.
I never imagined I’d care for chimpanzees but in 2016 I moved to Cle Elum and began volunteering at the sanctuary. I fell in love with the chimpanzees, the cattle, and the beautiful property and in 2024 joined the staff as a part-time caregiver.
During my time volunteering in the chimp house, I’ve also had opportunities to help with other projects. One year I made Easter baskets which our dearest Jody loved. I learned to wrap Christmas presents without using tape! I promoted the sanctuary at local farmer’s markets, helped build Ryan’s Lookout, the new outdoor perimeter fencing, and fire wised the property along with past resident Ellie the Elk (a.k.a. Buttons) who now safely lives at Woodland Park Zoo.
Volunteering brought so much purpose and joy to my life – if you are interested here’s how you can help!
As a part-time caregiver, my goal is to support the rest of the team where needed most – to give them days in the office for projects, time to do intros with George, precious vacations, and now assistance with writing the blog.
What will future blogs look like from me? Well . . . I think my co-workers would say I have a quirky sense of humor (hint, hint) especially after they found out I was behind the Human Enrichment Calendar caper, which they all blamed each other on for months (I enjoyed that very much). I hug new appliances, plan parties that include bananas on a stick which Willy B loved and Honey B not so much and The Rock cardboard cutout which Lucky eventually pushed over a cliff. And then there are the infamous spooky dolls – which will be a story for another time.
At the end of the day, I love the chimps and cattle with all my heart. And I look forward to sharing my view into the sanctuary with authenticity, creativity, and joy.
