A busy season at Wildlings
New neighbors, changing herd dynamics, community care, and a lot of work before winter
It has been a full few weeks at the sanctuary, and somehow an especially full few hours tonight. Olivia and Jax are safely here but need more care than we first realized, Gloria and Dolly are still teaching us what they need, and we are turning our attention to safe sleeping spaces and warm housing before winter. Sanctuary life changes quickly, and tonight was a perfect example of that.
Four new pigs and their own pace
Olivia and Jax arrived smoothly, but their mobility challenges are more significant than I expected. Their little legs make getting around hard, and they badly need their hooves trimmed. Today also brought some new health concerns that we need a veterinarian to evaluate. Getting them seen and getting those hooves taken care of are now at the very top of our list. For now, they need a safe space of their own while we figure out what will keep them most comfortable.
Gloria and Dolly have been settling in nicely and are incredibly friendly with people. Joining a herd is another story. Pig introductions have already been difficult, and tonight Gloria became far too intense with the alpacas, repeatedly mounting and bothering them despite their very clear objections. With elderly Fauna in the group, we could not let that continue, so Gloria and Dolly moved into Pig Park. Ezzy, affectionately known around here as Baby Shark, immediately made the rules of Pig Park very clear. Needless to say, the girls were not impressed. We are taking all of this information in and working out safe sleeping and living arrangements for everyone.
Gloria and Dolly. Photo by Beth Redwood, who also named them.
Beth and Daniel recently came to visit, and Beth captured this beautiful photo of the girls. We have also repaired a great deal of fencing after their early adventures. You helped our repair fundraiser reach its $1,000 goal; we have already put funds toward sturdy fence panels and begun the repairs. Thank you for showing up for us so quickly.
A little flock grows
Chickpea, the little bird we rescued recently, has joined Wednesday the duck and her two chicken friends. Gerard sometimes spends time with them too. It is a charming, wonderfully mixed flock, and seeing Chickpea find her place has been a bright spot. Gilly the pig is also doing better since her vet visit, which is a relief.
Roman holding Chickpea.
Building toward winter
We are working to make every house cozy before the cold weather arrives. One of our biggest projects is an outdoor bird run connected to the coop, with room for the birds to explore safely. Because our residents include more than chickens, we are calling it the bird run. The image below is a vision for the project, not a photo of a finished structure.
Our goal for the new bird run. This is an illustration of the planned space.
Instead of buying a replacement for the small coop damaged during Gloria and Dolly’s adventures, we plan to put some of the repair fundraiser toward this run. There is plenty to build and winterize, so our upcoming volunteer days will be busy. We are also looking forward to welcoming a PGE group for our first corporate volunteer day. And our education work is growing too: we have agreed to host school field trips for families looking for an animal-centered alternative to traditional farm and zoo trips. That feels especially aligned with what we hope Wildlings can offer young people.
A new rhythm for volunteer lunches
The big lunch at the end of every volunteer Sunday has long been a way to spend time together. We cannot keep providing it weekly, so we are moving to one larger community lunch at the end of each month. On the other Sundays, Higher Taste has offered frozen meals for our volunteers, likely mostly their burritos, when available. We are so grateful to them for helping us keep everyone fed while making volunteer days sustainable.
We tried Higher Taste’s new mac and cheese at a recent volunteer day, and it was a hit. I purchased that first batch, and Roman was happy to help with the taste test!
Higher Taste mac and cheese that we purchased for a volunteer day; Roman enjoying his mac and cheese.
Out in the community
We also made it to the Flipside Market last weekend. It felt good to get out, visit with people, and share Wildlings with the community. Emma spent time at our table, and back at the sanctuary Remy shared a quiet moment with Wednesday.
Emma at the Wildlings table at Flipside Market; Remy holding Wednesday the duck at the sanctuary.
Taking care of our own
Tonight also stretched beyond animal care. Our board member Katie and her partner, Spencer, are dealing with the aftermath of a barn fire that also damaged their water line. They came by for food, a shower, and a little breathing room, and we sent them home with large containers of water. My heart is with them. Sanctuary is about animals, but it has also created a community of people who show up for one another when life gets hard.
With all our thanks to Lola and Malcolm
We want to thank Lola and Malcolm for carrying Wildlings through so much of this year and last. Your generous grant at the beginning of the year, your match for our hay fundraiser, and your recent surprise gift to help us through the end of the year have meant more than we can say. The hay match did more than cover a need; it inspired other people to give, too.
I honestly do not know how we would have made it through this year without you. Because of people like you, we can keep caring for the animals here and say yes when another life needs a safe place to land. Thank you, both, from our whole family and everyone at Wildlings.
Lola and Malcolm. Thank you for being there for Wildlings.
With love and gratitude,
The Wildlings family
Wildlings Forest Sanctuary • wildlingsforest.org
