Grace

Gratitude

September 18, 2022 by Grace

A lot has happened over this last week.

Between Willy B’s procedure and our HOOT! fundraiser, we have a lot to be grateful for here at CSNW. Willy B has been recovering well in the front rooms of Phase 1, with visual access to the rest of his group members through multiple windows. The rest of Cy’s group have been checking up on him constantly and many have chosen to sit by the windows to join him in watching the many movies we have been playing for him. The stitches in his nose have been holding up really well (knock on wood) and he seems to be enjoying the enrichment we have been giving him to keep him busy (and to keep him from displaying against the howdy door and riling up his neighbors). He is currently watching Shrek and working on a hanging puzzle… Sunday Fun-day, amiright?!

This past Friday was our signature annual fundraiser, HOOT!, and it was the first time it has been held in person for two years. It was my first time attending and I cannot say how heart warming it was to connect with our sponsors in-person and also virtually (via our Facebook live stream). I am always speechless when I think about the support we receive from so many people across the world. Being a part of an event where everyone is connected by the common goal of supporting CSNW brings this gratitude front and center, so I just want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you from all of the primates (and cattle) here at CSNW. Whether you have donated to HOOT!, connect with us via our daily blog, support us by being a Chimp Pal or Produce Patron, sending us items from our wish-lists, or supporting us another way, we can’t say thank you enough for allowing us to provide sustainable sanctuary for our residents.

Thank you.

Personally, I am mentally still processing all the events from the past week. I often spend a good amount of time reading outside of work, especially when work gets busier than normal, and often find that other authors have found words to express things that I am unable to voice. Excuse the cheesy-ness of the end of this blog, but a piece by Mary Oliver has really been on my mind lately. I’ve typed out a portion of it below…Maybe it will touch your heart, too.

The Messenger

My work is loving the world.

Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird –

equal seekers of sweetness.

Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.

Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?

Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me

keep my mind on what matters, which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished…

Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart

and these body-clothes,

a mouth with which to give shouts of joy…

telling them over, over and over, how it is

that we live forever.

Photos above: Terry and Cy

Cy:

Dora:

Negra, resting in the greenhouse:

Thoughts From a Busy Day

September 14, 2022 by Grace

Today has been a bit of a day here at CSNW.

We woke up to messages from J.B. and Diana that there had been a kerfuffle between the members of Cy’s group in the early hours of the morning. Although Willy B required a trip to the vet clinic, everyone is doing OK. Willy acquired an injury to his right nostril and had to have a few stitches from Dr. Erin. He was a rock-star during the procedure and is recovering well. A special thank you to Mekenzie, CRNA, for stepping in to assist Dr. Erin and Sofia with his procedure!

Dr. Erin Zamzow (right), Mekenzie (center), Sofia (right), and Willy B (on the table).

Dr. Erin giving Willy B his stitches:

Sofia charting a dental exam:

Displaying, fighting, and resulting wounds are a common part of chimpanzee society. While it is hard to watch at times for us humans, and sometimes the displays are so loud that we have to cover our ears, it often is a lot of screaming and, thankfully, direct physical contact occurs less often. It does happen, though, and another key aspect of chimpanzee society is post-conflict reconciliation. This includes reassurance behaviors, grooming, and play. We were relieved to see a lot of this, especially between the guys, and there has been a lot of reassurance between the other eight chimps in Cy’s group throughout the day today. On the other side of the chimp house, Jamie’s group has spent a lot of today watching the construction on Young’s Hill. I briefly interrupted a grooming session between Jamie, Burrito, Jody, and Foxie before Jamie told me in no short order to go away.

Everyone is well.

There was a lot going on today, but all the stress related to something I’d been thinking about for a few days… Not about unexpected trips to the vet clinic, so stick with me. The other day we had our virtual tour of the sanctuary for VIP ticket holders to HOOT! and one of our supporters asked Diana and I what we find to be the most rewarding aspect of working at the sanctuary. I fumbled out some vague answer (I’m not good at speaking on the spot) and Diana answered about how rewarding it is to see all the people who are brought together by the sanctuary and, also, how rewarding it is to see the chimps form relationships with each other and choose to spend time together. This has stayed with me for a few days.

Sanctuary is a unique concept that often seems better defined by an emotion, rather than a written definition. I’m not biased at all, but CSNW embodies this emotion in every way. Working here is a combination of the heavy feeling of knowing that the chimps we care for do not belong in captivity, but we are also so lucky to have the opportunity to know them and to get to form deep connections with them. It’s watching individuals in Jamie’s group play, groom, and be goofy. It’s watching the newly integrated group of 9 form relationships with each other that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to form. It’s giving them choice, connections, and a lifelong home.

There are so many connections that have been formed because of the chimps here at the sanctuary. Not only have we connected with supporters all over the globe, that we otherwise would never have known, but it has also brought myself and all of my fellow coworkers here to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Most all of us have left the places that we called home and our family members to move here and it has created a truly special space where we are all each others family. And days like today, that are more chaotic than most, this comfort keeps my anxiety at bay.

So, if I were to better answer the question posed earlier this week, I would say that the most rewarding thing about working here is the connections. Connections with coworkers, supporters, and (last but certainly not least) the chimps.

We already owe the chimps so much, but this should also be added to the list.

Also, don’t forget that our signature fundraiser HOOT! is coming up this Friday, September 16th! The online auction is live and you can place your bids now! Our annual fundraiser contributes a large portion of the funds that allow us to provide sustainable sanctuary and lifelong care for all of our residents. Click here for more and to help us reach our fundraising goal!

Bonus Photo

Honey B, chillin:

Happy (Almost) Wedding Day, Kelsi & Adam!

September 9, 2022 by Grace

The whole staff here at CSNW are excited to sponsor this day of sanctuary in honor of caregiver Kelsi’s wedding tomorrow!

“Tomorrow is a very special day for a longtime caregiver here at CSNW- Kelsi! She is getting married to her best friend, Adam, and we are all so very happy for the two of them.

Kelsi- you are a pillar here at the sanctuary and I am so grateful to know you. You make everyone feel at home and the chimps adore you. I am so happy for you to marry your person and can’t wait to celebrate with you! – Grace

Congrats on the big day, Adam and Kelsi! Love you both so much and I wish you a lifetime of happiness together – Sofía

Best wishes and congratulations to you both! From your whole family of humans and chimps (and cattle) here at CSNW :)”

Cheers to you both!!

Kelsi, thriving:

Sweet Rayne:

This Is A Bit Munch

September 4, 2022 by Grace

Hi, everyone! It’s a *beautiful* Sunday here in Cle Elum and it feels like everyone’s enjoying it. Right now I can see Cy on the security monitors relaxing in the Mezzanine with a new magazine, a few mall walkers walkin’, and Jamie’s group relaxing after a lunch forage on Young’s Hill. For today’s forage we had baked sweet potatoes, mini sweet peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers… And the chimps were so very excited. Baking fruits and veggies might seem like no big deal to us humans, but the chimps (for the most part) love it when they get baked foods. Whether it be the texture change or the natural sweetness that comes from baking a fruit, they get all worked up in the best way.

Speaking of mealtimes, the other day I was sitting with Gordo at dinner and he allowed me to snag a few videos of him eating. If you’re anything like me, it is the bane of your existence when you can hear another human chewing their meals. It’s not logical, I know, but something about it just gives me uncomfortable goosebumps. Having the opportunity to sit and listen to the chimps eat, though, is the best. The humans have talked about it and for some reason most of us feel the same way- listening to the chimps eat with their food grunts, lip smacks, and munchin’ sounds just makes you smile.

You might not believe me and that’s okay, but don’t worry- I’ve compiled a six minute long video of the chimps munchin’ away to try and change your mind. 🙂

P.S: don’t forget that our annual fundraiser is coming up next week! On Friday, September 16th we will be celebrating the chimps at HOOT! 2022! You can read more on the celebration in Diana’s blog post here, but you can still purchase tickets for both in-person and virtual festivities. We will have a live and silent auction, with items so good that some of us caregivers are trying to figure out how to snag them without Diana noticing, and if you sign up for a VIP ticket (for either in-person or virtual) you will be registered to attend an exclusive, virtual tour of the sanctuary! Join us to celebrate the chimps and sanctuary next week! 🙂 See more by clicking here.

P.P.S: As a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit organization, we rely on your support to provide lifetime quality care and sustainable sanctuary for our residents. There are a variety of ways to support us- like helping us reach our goal of being rated a 2022 Great Top-Rated nonprofit by GreatNonprofits! It’s as easy as going here and clicking “Share Your Story”. The humans, and the residents, of CSNW say thanks in advance!

Now, some photos from today’s forage on Young’s Hill! 🙂

Annie, enjoying some peppers:

Burrito, mid-swing:

Missy snagging a tomato:

Negra searching for baked sweet potatoes:

Guess Who?!

August 29, 2022 by Grace

Today has been… a day here in the chimp house. Most of the time, you come to the chimp house with a plan- you hype yourself up on the car ride in, telling yourself all will be golden and the chimps will be happy and shift for you no problem. You pull up the driveway listening to what would be your baseball walk-out song if you had one and by the time you get the day going, you’re feelin’ pretty darn good about things.

Sometimes, the chimps let you have the win for that day. And, sometimes, it’s like they all had a before-hours conference call where they decided to take your plan for the day and stomp, not so gently, all over it. Today was the latter. Thankfully, though, cleaning got done (or, most of it) and we are working through the daily check list as I write this blog. Phew!

One of the big factors in our day is the morning cleaning. And whenever we shift the chimps for cleaning, we have two trained staff members complete safety checks before we unlock and enter a space. This includes two independent chimp counts, where each staff member positively identifies each chimp so we can be sure they are not in the area we are wanting to open up. This can be quick, like when the chimps are all lined up for breakfast service… and this can also take a while, say, if the chimps are somewhere out of sight or if they are only granting you visual access to a toe. So, for today’s blog, I wanted to do another installment of “Whos that chimp?!” in honor of today’s shifting woes. 🙂

The scenario: you are doing a chimp ID for Cy’s group, as you are hoping to enter the Oakview Greenhouse for a party set up. This chimp is a little out of range for a quick ID, but you can see some of them. 🙂 I’ll be posting the correct answer in the comments tomorrow morning! And if you need a quick review on how we tell the chimps apart, check out Jenna’s awesome blog post from last week!

Hmm… who could it be?

That’s a pretty good lookin’ hand. Need some more identification, though…

Oh no, they’ve moved and now they are laying in front of another chimp! Shoot. Let’s see what we can see.

Well, that’s a nice ear.

Ok, have you figured it out yet? 🙂 Check back in the comments tomorrow to see if you got it right!

Little Moments On A Sunday

August 28, 2022 by Grace

No matter what day it is or what is going on, there are always little moments in the chimp house that center you. Today’s video is a compilation of these little, precious moments. 🙂 Plus some photos, too!

Gordo in his box:

We also celebrated the lovely weather today with a forage on Young’s Hill! Everyone in Jamie’s group participated and enjoyed fresh corn, mini sweet peppers, and tomatoes.

Missy:

Jody:

Can you spot the Jamie?

Burrito:

Annie, left, and Missy, right:

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Missy, I Love You From My Head To-ma-toes

August 23, 2022 by Grace

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the birthday edition of our daily blog! Today, we celebrated Missy’s 47th birthday. She adores all things tomato, so of course we had to have tomatoes at every turn for her birthday party. Missy is a special chimp who is more acrobatic than any human I know- seriously, she will sprint across Young’s Hill in no time. It is very impressive. She often spends time in play sessions with her BFF Annie (there might be a few extra precious clips of this on today’s blog:) ) and she is witty, loyal to her friends, and often too cool for her human caregivers.

Missy’s journey to sanctuary has been a special one. Back in 2014, Diana wrote a blog post about Missy and how she almost didn’t make it to CSNW. Diana said it best, so I have copied some of that blog here:

“About a month before the chimpanzees left Buckshire in Pennsylvania (the private facility that owned them and leased them to different laboratories for decades), all of the chimps had health check-ups. During these check-ups, the veterinarian discovered that Foxie and Missy had uterine tumors.

Buckshire quickly arranged for both of them to have hysterectomies. The surgeries went fine, but when they were transporting Missy back to Buckshire, she crashed. She was brought back to the veterinarian under manual ventilation and had a very weak pulse. From what we were told, they “worked on her for 10 minutes and brought her back.”

We didn’t find out about this until later, and it came as a shock to know that she was so close to not having her chance to enjoy a sanctuary home. It remains a reminder to me that each moment of sanctuary, each moment of life, is invaluable.”

We are grateful every day for Missy, her group of 7, and the newly integrated group of 9. Every moment spent with them or in their presence is unique and priceless.

Happy, happy birthday to you, Missy!!!!

Cy’s group also got to celebrate and that video will be coming tomorrow (thanks, Kelsi!). 🙂

One more note- there is still time to register for the Chimpanzees in Need virtual update meeting on Friday, August 26^th at 4pm PT! We are so close to safely re-homing all of the Wildlife Waystation chimps and this will be a short online Zoom meeting where NAPSA will share updates on construction of new homes, transportation efforts, and where we are with raising the funds to complete the campaign this year. There will also be an update from us, CSNW, on how the 9 are doing! Be sure to register now and tune in for the update.

Now, some photos of Missy throughout the day: