Pamela Miller sponsored today for her sister Linda. Pam says that Linda has a newfound interest in animal welfare, and we can’t think of any better ambassadors for the cause than the Cle Elum Seven. Welcome aboard, Linda!
Exercise
Now that the snow has melted and the sun has returned, the chimpanzees have been really enjoying being outside on Young’s Hill. This morning we witnessed an impressive burst of activity. I can imagine how good it must feel to them to be able to stretch their legs.
A Big Day for Meg Lunnum
Today is Meg Lunnum’s birthday and her last day of work before retirement, and she has sponsored the day to celebrate. What a cause for celebration! Meg supports Negra through the Chimpanzee Pal program. We’ll make sure Negra gets lots of peanuts and lettuce (her favorites!) today in your honor, Meg.
Happy birthday and congratulations!
Happy birthday, Donna and Doreen!
Donna and Doreen Hughes are celebrating their birthday today, and they have sponsored the day for the Cle Elum Seven. Donna and Doreen have been consistently warm and enthusiastic supporters of the chimpanzees since the year they arrived at CSNW. In particular, they’re two of Foxie’s biggest fans!
Thanks, Donna and Doreen. Happy birthday from CSNW!
Foxie doing nothing much
We often post videos of the chimpanzees playing, grooming, foraging, or engaged in some other activity. But I think it’s sometimes the quieter moments when not much is happening that are my favorite moments of the day (like Burrito chewing gum). These moments don’t often make it to the blog, I suppose because we don’t think people will find them very exciting or interesting. But this short video of Foxie being Foxie really made me smile.
Enriching Jamie
Recently I was looking back at some old blog posts written by Diana and J.B. before the chimpanzees arrived in Washington. In this post, Diana describes Jamie after meeting her for the first time during a visit to the laboratory. It struck me how accurate Diana’s first impressions turned out to be. Five years later, Jamie still demands our time, energy, and creativity to keep her satisfied. It is sometimes hard to know what she’s going to like, but choice is essential. Diana also correctly predicted that we’re always happy to indulge.
After we clean the playroom each morning, we put out clean blankets and a heaping basket of enrichment. Jamie’s routine is to first gather any boots, then stroll around checking out the rest of the toys to see if anything is of interest. Today she came across this loofah and gave her face a quick scrub.
Happy birthday, Lynn Williamson!
Frank Williamson has sponsored today for Lynn’s birthday, with this message:
“Dear Lynnie, happy birthday and great work with the chimps and all the other animal causes you take so seriously! Your family loves you!”
Lynn has been a volunteer in the chimp house for a few years now, and she is consistently lovely to be around. She always shows up with a smile on her face, ready to work hard for the chimpanzees. We’re so lucky to know her. Happy birthday, Lynn!
