Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Grace

Thankful Every Day

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It’s the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which means… it’s Giving Tuesday! 🙂

If you haven’t heard of it before, Giving Tuesday is an internationally recognized day of giving as it aims to promote generosity as a part of every day life. Which, if you ask me, is just a sincerely lovely & comforting thought.

We rely on the generosity of you, our supporters, to do the work we do. All our residents deserve sanctuary and you are what makes that happen. We are grateful, every day, for each of you.

If you find yourself wanting to participate in Giving Tuesday, I would encourage you to donate by clicking the link here. There are so many ways to donate- from sponsoring a day of sanctuary, to donating directly to our produce fund, becoming a Chimp or Bovine Pal to one of our residents, or donating stocks– I can confidently tell you that every donation is felt and appreciated. Today, and every day, no donation is too small.

There are also the non-monetary ways to support the sanctuary, which I feel like sometimes get overlooked but are just as important! Sharing our posts, for example, to your social media or with your friends and family help us increase our reach. Which, in turn, helps us connect and share our residents stories with more people. That is so, so important to us. We owe it to our residents to share their names & stories as far & wide as we can. A simple share helps us do just that!

On that note, I hope you enjoy the short & sweet video today of best chimp friends Missy and Annie. 🙂

Annie, from the photo vault, during a sweet summer forage:

Also, in the honor of giving thanks, look at this amazing pile of donations from a week or so ago! Thank you so much to everyone who donates items from our wish lists or who sends us chimp-approved items. We are currently adding items that we need for our upcoming Christmas celebrations to our wish lists, so please check it out if you’re interested in helping us celebrate! 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving!

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No matter how you celebrate this holiday, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on everything we have to be grateful for. Whether it’s the meal you eat today, the company you keep throughout the days, or the quiet moments you enjoy.

Here at the sanctuary, it’s all those things and more. We have a large family of chimps, humans, cattle, a barn kitty, a little family of deer that seem to have taken up residence on the property, and all of you that support us from afar. Every day is unique and special as we work to give our residents the best possible care that we can, and we couldn’t do it without you.

So, from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of all of us, thank you. I hope that you find comfort, joy, and happiness in your corner of the world.

 

Chimp Lesson #7: It Can Wait

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Last month, caregiver Sabrina wrote the first in a series of blogs titled ‘Lessons the Chimps Have Taught Us‘. Today, I would like to add to it. 🙂

We mention it quite often, but our days here are buuuusssyyy. We have a lot to do and time tends to slip away from us, or maybe time really does just go faster when you’re in the chimp house. Either way, we have to make conscious decisions throughout the day about how we spend our time to make sure we get everything done and also spend time with the chimps.

This morning, Sabrina and I went and did our perimeter check of Young’s Hill and the Bray. I was standing by the raceway (the connecting enclosure from the Greenhouse to Young’s Hill) while giving caregiver Jenna my safety report over the radio and Burrito was already being his wild self! Wanting to play a game of chase, he would run over to me, stomp his back foot, and go running off- with me following, of course. I thought that I would need to take a few minutes to play chase with him before doing the rest of the lead caregiver’s morning responsibilities, but he had other things in mind.

As soon as I opened the door, he was running! And, not just running, but looking back at me, clapping, breathy panting, and stomping his feet. Not only was he going for a morning jog around the hill, but I was about to go with him.

I always get really happy when a chimp asks me to spend time with them- whether it be a walk outside, a quiet grooming session, or a game of chase. It’s just, well, special. And it never gets old.

While I was happy to spend time with Burrito, my mind was definitely on everything that I had to get done today. A few steps around the hill, though, Burrito paused our race to sit down while looking back at the chimp house. The winter chill could definitely be felt this morning and there was a layer of fog around the foothills, but the blue winter-y morning light made everything extra breath-taking.

I grew up in Ohio and while the Midwest has it’s own charm and beauty, I don’t think there’s anything like the mountains on a cold winter morning.

So, all this to say that today I was reminded of one of the things that the chimps have taught me.

Your to-do list will always be there and it will always be just as important. But- taking the time to spend quality, fully present moments with people you love is a pretty good reason to put it on hold. It can wait… Burrito can’t. 🙂

I hope you enjoy this mornings walk as much as I did.

Photos from My Vault

Gordo, enjoying a sunny lunch forage:

Terry, looking out to the Bray:

Don’t forget to participate in our Comfort & Joy Online Auction– be sure to get your bids & donations in before the event ends this Saturday, November 18th. 🙂

Moments of Comfort & Joy

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From the moment that we pull up to the chimp house in the mornings, the day gets busy fast. We jump right into breakfast, then cleaning, then lunch, then chimp house chores and blogging, to dinner and closing!

In between the busy and sometimes chaotic moments, we try and interact with the chimps as much as we can (and as much as they want us to). And, like Jenna wrote in her blog titled ‘Stay Awhile’, sometimes forcing ourselves to pause and be totally present allows us to witness moments that we otherwise would have missed. Or it allows us moments with the chimps that we otherwise wouldn’t have had if we had just moved onto the next item on our to-do list.

It’s a balancing act, definitely. But these moments of pause allow us to witness moments of comfort & joy with the chimps- which, if you really get down to it, is a pretty wonderful part of sanctuary. Check out today’s blog video for just a few of these happy & comforting moments from today. 🙂

Speaking of comfort and joy (look at me go, connecting all the things!)- we want to celebrate these special moments of sanctuary with YOU! If you haven’t yet, head over to our Comfort & Joy, Quid Pro Throw Online Auction to participate in the fun. You can bid on items and experiences for yourself (or for some holiday shopping- it’s never too early) and you can *also* bid on items to give to the chimps! Imagine the bragging rights you will have if you win the Mora Blanket that’s listed for us to give to Mave and Dora themselves? Just, wow. We’re also adding new items throughout the auction, so be sure to keep an eye on things!

Also, registering for the virtual event automatically gets you access to our upcoming Comfort & Joy Virtual Gathering this Sunday, November 12th at 5:00pm PT / 8:00pm ET. This virtual presentation will cover past, present, and the exciting future of the sanctuary- along with staff intros and behind the scenes footage of the chimp house! It’ll be a great excuse to kick up your feet, grab a yummy drink, all your favorite blankets, and learn more about all of us here. Diana and I will be chatting live with attendees, so be sure to say hi!

Bonus Photos:

Burrito and his favorite red Frisbee from today:

Foxie, enjoying watching the neighbors out in the chute:

Lucky having a moment of comfort in her nest in the front rooms:

Moments

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It’s been six months or so that Cy’s group has had access to The Bray, their two-acre outdoor enclosure, and in that time we’ve seen some pretty big wins for that group. Whether it be Lucky deciding to be brave and head out for the first time, Willy B deciding that the grass might not actually be so bad, or Cy making it all the way to the top of the enclosure- I think I can confidently say that it’s been a point of compassion satisfaction for all of us here.

We’re pretty transparent in this daily blog, which means that we’re also pretty vulnerable. We have the responsibility and opportunity to connect with you to share the stories of the chimps in our care, which means that we can celebrate wins like the above together, but also that we mourn the losses that come with sanctuary life together, too. This year has been a lot of both and you’ve seen us write about sensitive topics like compassion fatigue and grief.

Some days, for me, it all comes together and it’s not solely compassion fatigue or compassion satisfaction. Some days it feels like both.

This afternoon I was walking (read: meandering aimlessly) around the chimp house hoping for a blog idea to come to me. After walking back and forth a few times, I finally went out to the chute to see if anyone in Cy’s group was enjoying the afternoon sun despite the chill in the air. Terry, who had been relaxing in the warm winterized greenhouses, came with me and went out onto the Bray. I went walking with him and turned around to see that Lucky, Rayne, and Cy had joined us too. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the birds were chirping- and there we were, experiencing it together.

One of the foundations of our work here is ensuring that the chimps have as much choice as possible in their day to day lives, whenever we can. Whether that’s respecting someone’s choice to not shift out of a certain enclosure, accepting if someone doesn’t want to hang out with us humans, or giving them a variety of enrichment that they can choose to interact with (or not), we do what we can when we can. The caveat is that, due to the hand that humans have dealt them, they are here with us in sanctuary and we have to make big & small decisions for them every day.

I’m not sure if this makes sense, but watching Terry and his friends enjoy a random afternoon walk on the Bray on a chilly fall day in the foothills of the Cascade mountains epitomized these wins, losses, and choices in that I witnessed their freedom to choose an activity that I believe brought them joy. Today’s win, a moment of peace on the Bray, stemmed from tough decisions about how we could set them up for success in such a big, new enclosure and give them security in their choices. Then, as I’m standing on the Bray with Terry and his friends, I look over and am happy to see Annie heading in from being outside on the Hill. I look over a little bit more to see if anyone else was out and I see the spot where Jody is buried.

Wins, losses, grief, acceptance.

Some days the wins feel extra big, some days you feel the losses extra hard. And, some days when the sun is shining and the wind is cold, you feel it all at the same time.

Terry resting his eyes in the warm, winterized greenhouse:

P.S. Have you heard about our upcoming Comfort & Joy Auction and accompanying festivities? You can pick and choose how you want to participate, but we are asking you to take a moment to send us a video telling us which chimpanzee at CSNW brings you joy and why! Click here for details and instructions.

A Rawrrr-ing Good Time

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Like Kelsi wrote in yesterday’s blog, there is no such thing as a dull moment here at CSNW. Sometimes I think the phrase “keeps you on your toes” was coined by / for chimpanzee caregivers.

This morning, we got to work and it was a brisk 34 degrees. Kelsi and I hopped in the side-by-side to do our perimeter check so we could let the chimps into their respective outdoor enclosures. The two sides of the chimp house operate simultaneously, so we have two shifters during morning cleaning. The lead caregiver for the day shifts doors in the original building and the second shifter shifts the new building, so we buddy system the perimeter check.

When I opened the door to Young’s Hill, I didn’t expect anyone to go rushing outside since it was so chilly. I was proved wrong, though, when Jamie went right out and around we went for an early morning patrol.

By the time we got around the top, we had been joined by Missy and Burrito. The early morning walk with Jamie turned into some cardio when Burrito took over and we raced down the hill. Because who doesn’t love cardio in the morning, am I right?

As you all know, one of the best holidays of the year is coming up in a few short days. The countdown to Jamie-ween is officially in single digits! I grew up in a family that loves Halloween and I always look forward to pumpkin carving, dressing up, and lots (and lots) of candy. And, because I’m a mature adult, I’ve been really wanting to purchase one of those big blow up T-Rex costumes that are pretty popular online for a while. Amazon Prime day got the best of me this year and, you guessed it, a few days later a giant inflatable T-Rex showed up at my door.

Best day ever? Maybe.

And over time, we’ve learned that some of the chimps think that masks are pretty funny. Gordo especially loves a troll mask we have that was donated a while back! So I wanted to bring the costume to work and share it with my friends.

With a little help from my human coworkers I was able to show it to both groups of chimps! First I went back to Cy’s group and made sure all the chimps were around while I put it on, so that they knew it was me inside it. Gordo and Dora both seemed really interested in it! The people in Jamie’s group were more unsure, so I didn’t spend much time on that side of the chimp house. Jamie, Negra, & Burrito saw it acted like it was just another Wednesday. Annie, Foxie, and Missy weren’t into it- which is totally okay! The fun part about random enrichment things like this is that it’s okay if some people don’t want to engage. Some people though, like Gordo, enjoyed the short T. Rex intermission. 🙂

If you’re looking forward to Jamie-ween like we are, be sure to get your tickets to an exclusive Behind-The-Scenes of Jamie-ween virtual sanctuary visit on 10/31/23 at 12:00pm PT. If you want to attend, but have to work or have other responsibilities, still consider registering, because we’ll send out a link to the recording to everyone who registered so you can watch it at your leisure. 🙂

We’re super excited to share some of Jamie-ween with all of you, since it’s such a special holiday to all of us here. It’s also the perfect kick-off to our Comfort & Joy auction, which will be going live on the 31st and will run until November 18th. To celebrate all things Comfort & Joy, we are also offering a Comfort & Joy Virtual Gathering event on November 12th! This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the sanctuary, connect with us via chat, and just enjoy an evening full of comfort, chimps, & joy. What could be better? 🙂

See y’all soon!

P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who submitted a review in Great Nonprofits for us yesterday evening! We won a spot on the 2023 Top-Rated Non-Profit list, which is awesome. 🙂 Thank you!

Take Them As They Are

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Today’s blog title is based off of one of my favorite tenet’s of sanctuary.

We take them for where they are in life and love them for who they are.

We take them as they are.

Each chimp that we have the opportunity to care for, love, and get to know here at CSNW is unique. Their personalities are different and vary from the more human oriented chimps like Jamie to the more chimps-chimp oriented like Annie, to the super playful like Burrito, to the reserved but sweet and gentle (and sometimes spicy / gravity defying) Lucky. Their differences make them who they are and we love them because of these differences- not in spite of these differences.

A few days ago, Caregiver Sabrina posted a blog about lessons that we have learned from the chimps. Along with everything listed there, something I will always carry with me is how sanctuary provides the space they deserve to be cared for and loved unconditionally. Some days are hard, and some parts of chimp dynamics are hard to understand from a human perspective, but no matter what’s happened- we will always be here for them. And the same goes for the cattle, of course.

For example- last week I was standing with Jamie asking if she wanted to groom, but she was focused on something happening in the kitchen. Annie came over, sat, and looked up at me- so I offered her the grooming tool. She took it and groomed me for longer than she ever has before. Later that afternoon, I found Gordo sitting in the Oakwood Greenhouse. He did a little knuckle tap and headed over to sit on the log that he frequents, that was also conveniently right in a nice, warm ray of sunshine. I took a seat outside- and we just sat. I kept expecting him to walk away or gesture that he wanted me to leave, but he stayed facing me, just being quiet. After a while I walked in to check on things in the foyer and when I went back out he had gone into the playroom. The moment was over, but it will stay with me.

These might be the only two moments where I spend one-on-one time with both of them this month, or maybe not. But either way, they’re family.

These moments with Annie and Gordo aren’t more special than moments with the other chimps, that goes without saying. But if Jody’s loss taught me anything, it’s to appreciate every moment they give us.

And, man- unconditional love? That’s a pretty great thing… Isn’t it.

Gordo: