Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum Seven

Jamie then and now

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Sanctuary supporter Tamela just sent me an email with the photos below – Jamie the day she arrived at the sanctuary, and the photo of Jamie that Jackie took yesterday.

These photos side by side brought tears to my eyes – tears of joy for the last two years that we’ve known Jamie at the sanctuary and tears of sadness for the first 30 years of Jamie’s life spent living with an animal trainer then in biomedical research.

I have a feeling that we will all be experiencing this mixed joy and sadness this whole week leading up to June 13, 2010 – the 2nd anniversary of the chimpanzees’ arrival.

Jamie before Jamie 2 years later

Thank you all for helping to make Jamie’s second chance at life possible.

Breakfast forage!

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Summer has been slow to come to Cle Elum, but today was beautiful, so we set up a breakfast forage first thing. Included were frozen strawberries, grapes, chow biscuits, nuts,  smoothie in cups and fresh blades of grass. Everyone went for their favorites among the choices – Foxie for the grapes, Burrito for the chow biscuits, Jamie and Jody for the strawberries, Missy for smoothie, Annie for grass, and Negra for the nuts (while picking up grass for later).

We’ve come a long way, baby!

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In November 2008, volunteer Dakotta, of the High Mountain Sustainable Project, and myself came out to build the sanctuary compost boxes in preparation for a garden in the future.

The ground around the perimeter fence is nothing but fill dirt. But, in spring of 2009, we got serious and 96 wheelbarrow loads of compost, manure and top soil later…

And man o’ man, was last year’s garden successful!

But it just keeps getting better! This year, we’ve built up the trails around the beds so that the soil stays nice and warm. We are also in the process of tearing down the straw compost boxes and replacing them with wooden ones.

We’ve also added more beds around the south side of the building so that the chimps can get a closer view of what’s growing in their garden!

Royal City’s Cloudview Ecofarms have donated tons of starts for this years garden, including broccoli, kale, cabbage, onions, and lettuce.

Because of all of our hard work this year, I am now officially calling myself, Dakotta, JB, and volunteer Denice the “Garden Committee”. With the help of all these individuals, we’ve landscaped the area around the chimps’ outdoor area, which will soon also include more garden beds of fast-growing veggies, like carrots, lettuce, kale, etc…

Can’t wait to show you all the finished product! We’ve come a LONG, LONG way, baby!! Thanks so much Dakotta, JB, Denice, the awesome folks at Cloudview Ecofarms, and everyone one else that has contributed. You guys are awesome and are helping us provide the chimps with fresh (and enriching) food!