Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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HOOT! Sponsors: Merritt and John Atwood

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This is the seventh in our series of blog posts celebrating sponsors of the HOOT! 2017 Spring Fling gala.

Past posts celebrated Poppoff, Inc., Martha Faulkner Real Estate, Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, Jennifer and David Roers, Tracy Headley, and Pam Lehnert & Marc Warner.

 

Today is in honor of HOOT! sponsors Merritt and John Atwood.

 

Merritt shared how she learned about the sanctuary and why she supports the chimps.

 

“I first heard of CSNW in 2010 when I saw an article in the Seattle Times  (I think). Always an animal lover, I wanted to help.  What a great mission: to care for chimpanzees who had been caged up for years and used for biomedical research.”

And she has been a loyal donor ever since!

Merritt spends much of her time helping animals. She was a long time volunteer at the Humane Society in Bellevue, WA. Then, after moving to Whidbey Island, she became a supporter of Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation (WAIF). She is now in the 9th year on their board and is as committed as ever to bettering the lives of animals.

Merritt hasn’t visited Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in person, but she follows along on social media, as I know most of you out there do too.

When presented with one of the most challenging questions there is: Who is your favorite chimpanzee?, her response was: “It’s really hard to say which chimpanzee is my favorite.  Maybe Burrito for holding his own with all the ladies,  and looking as though he is enjoying himself immensely!”

Based on the video posted yesterday of Burrito playing with Foxie, I would say the assessment of his enjoyment is pretty accurate.

In true animal-lover form, rather than sending me a photo of herself and John, Merritt shared photos of her beloved companion animals.

 

This is sweet Nelson, who came from WAIF and passed away last year:

 

And this is Henrietta, who the Atwoods brought to their home in 2009 from Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue. She is about 12 years old now:

I have absolutely loved doing these HOOT! sponsor posts. It’s uplifting to me to share information about caring people and to be able to thank them for their generosity in this way, and I’ve learned new things about each of them in the process.

Big thanks to Merritt and John for your support of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees and for all that you have done for animals in your local communities – you have made a tangible difference in so many ways.

 

The 2017 HOOT! Spring Fling is just a few days away! There’s still time to support the event with your donation, and there are just a few seats left if you’ve been procrastinating buying tickets. Anyone can also preview auction items and put in absentee bids on three items right here.

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Where Foxie goes, so goes her doll.

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The photos below were taken last week when Foxie’s doll of the day was Dora the Explorer’s blonde friend.

If you don’t know the history of Foxie and her dolls, learn all about it here.

Since her initial interest in troll dolls, she has expanded her collection of favorites to include Dora and friends with the rare but occasional interest in other dolls.

Not all of the interactions she has with dolls are of the affectionate nature – see the video at the bottom of this post.

 

A video from a few years ago:

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Walks in the rain

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There is a gorgeous book recently written by a mother and daughter in Hawaii called “H?nau ka Ua” in which they recorded over 200 hundred names for rain in the Hawaiian language. It is written that their k?puna, or elders, were so attuned to the environment that they gave individual names to the variety of rains and winds on the islands. They knew each rain based on where and when it fell, the intensity and duration, the effect it had on people, the sound it made on the trees, and even the scent it carried. So in tune to their environment they considered it their kin.

In this part of the world, spring is ushered in on the winds. Not just any old breezes, but winds that come off the still snow-covered mountains and barrel down the valley like a freight train, that kick and buck like a wild horse, and throw sticks and stones for good measure. The days like that are sunny, but often leave all the primates taking cover. But on the days when the wind’s wild rumpus finally settles, like today, it can be cloudy and rainy. A gentle, soothing rain.

When not on Young’s Hill, the chimps chose to spend the entire day in the greenhouse, under the sound of rain on the roof. Annie nested there all day, as she often does when it rains. During a downpour at lunch we all just sat taking cover together, faces turned upward listening to the soothing rhythm.

Foxie keeping France Dora safe:

When Jamie insisted on multiple walks in the rain today, I marveled at the transition she’s made to being a Pacific Northwest chimp, virtually un-phased by the showers. Each walk for each kind of rain was different, but all were joyous and calm.

In a gentle, but steady light rain we didn’t dawdle, but she walked surprisingly slowly, the only sounds the raindrops on my Gortex jacket and our feet moving through the wet grass:

 

Later in the day when the rain let up and turned to only a few sprinkles was when she decided to kick up her heels and run:

On the final walk of the day most everyone decided to come out (though it was too wet for Negra today).

Burrito:

Jody:

Foxie and Dora:

Missy:

I’m so grateful that the chimps have the opportunity to be so connected to their home. To each rain and wind, snow and sunny day. To be kin with their environment and the wilderness in their hearts. Just as they were meant to be. Just as we were all meant to be.

Four Reasons to HOOT!

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Here are four reasons to join us at HOOT! on May 13th at Sodo Park in Seattle.

These photos were taken today as the chimpanzees explored and enjoyed their home. Take a moment on this Earth Day to appreciate their happiness.

Their sanctuary life is only possible with the support of so many people out there, and our annual gala plays a big role in raising funds for their care and our exciting plans for the future.

If you haven’t gotten your tickets to HOOT! yet, don’t delay – buy them now! If you are unable to attend, we’ll miss you, but you can still take part by making a donation. We’ll also have just a few items available for bidding online – details coming soon.

 

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Annie eating fresh spring grass:

annie eating grass

 

Burrito taking a brief break from foraging for lunch:

handsome burrito

 

This is a very contented face on Jamie:

Jamie happily sitting

 

Jody has the best drooped lip face!

Jody with drooped lip

Happy Earth Day! Thank you for helping us grow!

 

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Details

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Annie was kind enough to let me take some photos of her in the greenhouse this afternoon during lunch. In close, tight shots like these, my attention is often drawn towards some of the differences between us – notice her protruding brow ridge, her flat nose, her elongated palms and fingers, her small thumbs, and her opposable big toes. Of course, you can’t help but notice the similarities as well – her eyelashes, her fingernails, the wrinkles in her skin.

Later, I found Jamie sitting in the “portrait studio” area and she was gracious enough to let me photograph her for a while. One notable difference between humans and chimps is that most chimpanzees have dark sclera – that’s the portion of the eye surrounding the pupil and iris. There’s something about the contrast provided by the dark sclera that makes the iris almost glow in a certain light.