11 Aug Dealing with natural disaster
It’s been a tough year so far for all of us, but this week brought natural disaster to Chenoa.
Tropical storm Isaias hit our area last Tuesday, and in addition to felled tree branches and debris, flooding inflicted damage to some of our fencing. We were able to move the animals from the damaged area into other pastures, and spent the rest of the week cleaning things up and regrouping. Then on Friday evening we were hit again with even more sudden and extreme flash flooding. Without warning we found nearly half our pastures under water, and once the floodwater subsided discovered the fencing in 4 of our 6 pastures was so damaged that they could no longer hold animals.
We are currently at a stand-still, trying to prioritize which pastures to repair first. Our largest residents (including curious cow Jamar and adventure-loving pig Bette) are completely displaced, and we have been forced to keep them inside the barn until we can find a pasture secure enough to hold them.
We are in desperate need of donations to fund these fence repairs.
Fundraising has been especially challenging this year due to the pandemic, as we compete with countless other organizations and efforts that need financial support. We’ve been forced to cancel and postpone workshops and events that normally bring in a sizeable chunk of our revenue, in an effort to do our part to keep our community safe and healthy. Despite the many challenges we were making it work, getting creative with new programming ideas, refocusing on grant outreach, and ramping up the horticultural projects on-site. But we couldn’t predict the worst flooding our area has experienced in more than 20 years.
The incredibly wonderful silver lining is, of course, the way in which our animal residents have fared throughout these upheavals. We are so grateful that no animals were injured or lost, and the storms and flooding seemed to cause mild annoyance at worst and curious enjoyment of the change of scenery at best. It’s amazing how resilient they are, and we’re trying our best to emulate their grace.
Please make a donation right now – even the smallest amount can make a difference. And just as importantly, please take the time to share our donation link to your own community on social media and email, to help us widen our reach. We won’t be able to continue housing our residents without new fencing, and need every bit of help we can get.