All for One – April Sanctuary Update
Hi Everyone!
Many hands make for light work. It’s an old adage that we’ve all likely heard somewhere or another. But its truth is played out in a number of ways every day. One way that we have seen this kind of compound productivity recently is with a bunch of volunteer work groups that have come to help out. While our crew of individual yard care workers are the foundation of keeping the sanctuary in good working order, there are many projects that just couldn’t be realistically accomplished without a team. Let’s take a look at some of the accomplishments of our team work titans recently.
We have a number of incredibly valuable corporate volunteer groups that are steadfast partners in the work of maintaining the sanctuary. They return year after year to continue to make a difference in the community. Two that are at the top of the list are Eversource and Voya Financial. If you’ve spent any time at the sanctuary, you have certainly enjoyed some improvement that one or the other of these groups completed here. Both groups come once a year with an army of helpers to complete projects like the planting of the privet shrubs by the pavilion or the building of the stone walkway by the dog driveway. And this year is no different. Just a couple of weeks ago, Eversource was here cleaning the sanding off our driveways, repairing winter damage to the lawn, and doing a big piece of our yearly meadow mowing. And in a couple of weeks, Voya will be here to complete a huge tree planting project that they not only will be supplying all the labor for, but are also funding the purchase of trees and materials. The sanctuary would not be what it is without support like this.
Then, there’s our student group support. Every year, groups from UCONN and local high schools come and put in the time to make a difference for the work of the sanctuary. Among our biggest supporters are UCONN’s Alpha Phi Omega and Delta Sigma Pi, and the Mansfield Mustangs student group. We can always count on groups likes these to come multiple times every year to do the dirty work of keeping our gardens in order, raking leaves from our trails, cleaning our outdoor signage, and helping keep the sanctuary in tip top shape. The dedication and hard work of these youngsters is really inspiring.
So, if your workplace, student group, club, or community organization would like to come spend a morning or afternoon out in the beauty of the sanctuary, pulling together to make big things happen as a group, reach out to me at [email protected] and we can certainly set something up. Thanks so much!
Vinny’s View
It was bound to happen. The overwhelming joy of the warm weather and sunshine turns into a realization of just how much needs to be cleaned up and improved after a long winter of weather abuse. And while many things can be cleaned and fixed, some things can’t. A quick look around the sanctuary this spring has shown that our collection of yard furniture, whether in the pavilion, at the dog cottages, or on the catios, is looking pretty rough. Even my super-deluxe, corner-office catio could use a little refresh. We’ve always depended on the immense generosity of our supporters for these niceties in the past, and this year is no different. If you have any patio tables or chairs to spare, or other outdoor furniture, please reach out to my office mate, Jon, at [email protected] to let us know and we’ll see what we can use and figure out when it can get here. We really appreciate it!
See you soon!
And of Course…Adoptions!!
April flew by, but not without some great intake and adoption action. The dog team welcomed in Wrigley, while the cat team sent home our tripod pair, Trinity and Noelle together. In small animals, Peanut, the bunny, and Iggy, the chinchilla arrived, while Viola, the chinchilla, Pandora, the hamster, and Pippin, the mouse all went to their forever homes.
Winnie
It is always the commitment of Our Companions to provide the best care for our animals for as long as they are here. Sometimes, unfortunately, that isn’t very long. Winnie and Dunkin were older guinea pigs that arrived from a children’s museum that was shutting down. They were a lovely, friendly, adorable pair that quickly grew on the staff and volunteers of Suzanne’s Place. Sadly, time was not on our side and, in just a few days after arriving, Winnie suddenly passed away. It was unexpected and difficult on everyone. And not only did we suffer the loss, but we were concerned for Winnie’s long term buddy, Dunkin. Thankfully, some of that Our Companions magic happened when Dunkin was adopted just days later to a home with another piggy friend. While these times are hard, we are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of these animals’ lives, no matter how briefly. We will miss you, Winnie.
Thank you all so much for whatever way you support us and our mission. We couldn’t do it without you.
Jon Phillips
Sanctuary Director