24 Aug Intern Impressions
Stories from the Farm, by Chenoa Manor’s Student Interns.
by Emmi Lewis
It has not been long since I began my internship at Chenoa Manor, but it has been significant. In fact, it has been a life changing and mind altering experience. I have always had a deep love for animals, which is what brought me to Chenoa in the first place. At Chenoa Manor, however, I have had the privilege of being able to take that strong passion to a new level.
Each day that I make my commute out to the beautiful Avondale area, I find myself brainstorming different ways I can make that day even better for the animals. Whether it’s giving them more enrichment or even just spending time socializing with them, I know they will appreciate anything. I find myself slowing down and appreciating each serene moment that I am on the sanctuary, just as the animals do. Their appreciation for the happy life they live at Chenoa has certainly rubbed off on me. Whether it is blistering hot, or chilly and sunny it doesn’t matter, because it doesn’t matter to the animals. What matters is the comfort of the safety and security at Chenoa, and the wonderful interactions both the animals and people are so grateful to have with one another.
Not only has Chenoa taught me how lucky I am to be a part of these animals’ lives, but it has also taught me important factual information that can help improve the quality of life for these intelligent animals all over the country. I have made an effort to take all the information I learn both on the farm and through my weekly homework assignments and spread it to everyone I know. For example, I have learned just how astonishingly smart pigs truly are. They are able to figure out how mirrors work, paint, and are even able to understand the intentions of the other pigs around them. Many people assume these characteristics are limited to humans. Each day I interact with all the animals on the sanctuary, I see just how smart they all are in their own way – they never fail to surprise me.
Chenoa is a place that has come to expand my reality, knowledge, and love for animals; a place animals come and experience freedom and happiness for perhaps the first time in their lives; a place that radiates love and positivity; a place I am proud to be a part of.