last day of externship :( During this externship I have learned to really appreciate the amazing work that animal rescues do. It is a lot of work to have to do by yourself, and a lot to remember. I really appreciate that even though the owners know how much wok it is, they continue to rescue more and more animals. I personally think that I fit in very well on this farm because the people here aren't afraid to just dive in, no matter what the task is. I think I could learn to be more assertive and not be afraid to speak up. In this last year I have really worked on solidifying what I want to do after college as a career, and this farm has really helped me know that I want to be able to work with livestock animals at some point and in some way. I wonder why you don't see as many rescue organzations like Tevaland in California. Driving in New York you see a lot of deer and larger animals on the side of the freeway and I wonder if there is a way where we can take away both the risk of the animal dying while crossing the road but also the risk that comes to the human when they hit an animal. We all know that animals were here before us, but we took over their world by building malls, freeways, office buildings. What if there was a way to eliminate the risk that comes with collisions with animals by building a passage way that goes over the freeway, allowing them to safely pass, other countries have implemented this idea, why can't America? I learned very quickly that it is very important to build strong bonds with your peers and collaboration is key in this kind of working environment. metaphor for my future The author of this book Temple Grandin as well as the book itself have helped me decide the path I want to take in college. I realized that anyone can learn and study to become a vet but not everyone has the special understanding of animals that I realize I do. I am very fond of the work she has done and the difference she has made through slaughterhouses all over.
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Baby goats!!! I got to the farm early today to help with the pig that was rescued yesterday, as I was trying to get him in a harness to take him on a walk I was called. It sounded urgent, I thought either someone was hurt or one of animals got loose. I hurried up there and saw Dee sitting next to two baby goats born just minutes before. For the next two hours I got to sit with the babies and make sure they were drinking milk and make sure none of the other goats bothered us. After the pig rescue yesterday my mentor made the other intern and I fresh isreali food. I will post it below!!! Daily reflection
more rescued chicks Today was another day where more rescued baby chicks came in, the lady didn't want them anymore after she found out there was a male in the group. Of course Tali took them in and they are being closely watched for immediate health conditions. Today was extra awesome because it was time to move the young chicks into a different area so the new young ones can have more room and an enclosed place to practice their flying. We got really muddy because the chickens didn't want to be caught, when we did get them they rubbed their feet all over us. Getting muddy is all part of the job and makes something to laugh about later when I tell my family what I did today. daily reflection Like I have said before this farm is non-profit and is run mostly with volunteers, most of the time they are either seniors in high school or in college. I talked to a couple of the ones in college and they said they always have wanted to work with animals so working here is really cool. It takes a different kind of person to want to work in this field, wanting to get up and get dirty is a big part of what this job consists of. Some of the other interns are pursuing careers in the animal field but more on the medical side, but others just work here for fun and as a stress reliever. I know I have always wanted to work with animals in a way, working on this farm has helped me realize that I love getting muddy with the animals. I am majoring in Animal Sciences in college and couldn't be more excited to work with livestock animals in my career after college. I thought I wanted to be a vet until this year when I read books by Temple Grandin (an animal sciences professor at Colorado State University). Her books inspired me to work with slaughterhouses and make them more humane for the animals that are being killed. Having this amazing opportunity to work with these amazing compassionate people has taken my love of farm animals to the next level.
Another rainy day in new jerseyToday was another rainy day which meant working from home, today I searched craigslist for a chicken coop, shed, or bunny hutch for either really cheap or free. Finding items like this allow the farm to take in more animals in need of rescuing. I also worked on building the hamster cage that is my final project for this externship. The cage is made out of a clear storage bin, wire mesh, screws, nuts, bolts, washers. The tools needed to build it are a drill, a ruler and a marker. I finished completing it today and got in touch with a rescue that has hamsters available for adoption. I plan on picking up the hamster either friday or over the weekend. This hamster will be socialized and rehabilitated a lot, this will allow Tevaland to bring it with them on trips to schools and events. My job is to get the hamster socialized and used to being handled so it will make the event easier on the hamster and the people working the event. Daily reflection
Lunch with the other internsOn wednesday after a Tali and Friends event three other interns and I decided to go get lunch. We planned on going to Tito's burritos, but changed our minds quickly to the pancake place next door. The pancakes were huge!!!!! The interns and I have become very good friends and one of them happens to be attending UCSB in the fall for college. I really hope we stay friends. :)
Muddy Days at tevalandYesterday was a really rainy day, this means the interns don't come into work and are encouraged to look at home for donations or animals in need of rescuing. Because of the rain yesterday the farm was extra muddy today which meant it was extra slippery, we had to take extra precaution transporting food to the animals throughout the farm. I had the chance to help train the new interns that will be starting at the beginning of the next school year, I taught them how to brush the horses and put the bug spray on them. Today was really exciting because I purchased a fly mask for the white horse named Sophia over the weekend and she got to try it on today. During the summer this is going to be a life saver to her because of her white coat, white horses have a hard time in summer because they get sunburned more easily and bugs are more drawn to them. The mask fit her perfectly and she seemed to really enjoy it, the bugs will no longer bug her face, and when it is hotter outside she will have a little bit of protection from the sun. Daily reflectionWorking on a farm involves a lot of teamwork and self advocacy, examples of this are asking other interns, or my mentors what has been done and what still needs to be done. It is so common in the farm setting to ask for help, that no one needs to worry about getting embarrassed or afraid to ask for help or even just ask a question. It's better to get it done right the first time instead of wasting time and having to redo the same thing over and over again. New interns are always joining the Tevaland family which means training is needed for them. For example 2 new juniors from the same school as the senior interns that are there currently are being trained to take over their spots at the start of the next year. I have a really amazing mentor who is very reasonable and willing to help with whatever we need. When It is raining outside the interns work from home finding donations or animals that need rescuing off of sites such as craigslist. My mentor and all of the high school interns are planning a party for our families to come up and visit the farm and say goodbye, even though I am only here for a month they are including me in the party. I reached out to my mentor for extra help the first week when I wanted more information on what they needed for the farm. I have spent a lot of time on craigslist looking for free items that could be useful on the farm.
The heat wave like no otherThe weather in New York and New Jersey heated up this week! Today at the farm it was 95 degrees. The hotter it is the more bugs annoy the animals, especially the horses on the pasture. To help the horses we brush them really well and then we pour horse grade bug spray onto a towel and rub it everywhere the horse can't scratch themselves. This usually includes all four legs, stomach, ears, and around they eyes and face. Today was extra special because we took part in an active rescue! Tali, my mentor, drove to a school to rescue 9 baby chicks from a classroom The chicks were living in a box and did not have any water. When they got to the farm they were very constipated and blocked to the point where they couldn't poop. The other two interns and I sat down with towels, coconut oil, and water and we gently rubbed and massaged them to clean and stimulate them them to allow them to poop. They are very sweet little guys and girls and we will do everything we can. Short storyAfter we realized the baby chicks rescued today needed pumpkin filling to help with their constipation I drove to the store to pick a can up. On my way down the mountain I saw a raccoon that had been hit by a car so I pulled over grabbed a stick and pushed him off the road. When I got to the store, I grabbed the can of pumpkin filling and a bottle of unflavored Pedialite to help boost their immune system. On my way back up the mountain a bird flew into my windshield! I quickly pulled over and grabbed a towel and ran to see if the bird was alive. I gently picked him/her up and wrapped it in the towel t this point the eyes on the bird were still blinking but he died in my arms on the way back to the car. I left him on the towel and said my goodbyes. I looked like a baby crying in my car for 10 minutes on the side of the road with a wild bird in my lap. R.I.P Billy. Second week at TevalandThe weather is heating up at Tevaland which means more bugs come onto the farm. One of the ways they help keep their animals happy and healthy is by rubbing flea, tick and bug repellent for horses in places they can't scratch themselves. This includes the face, inside out side of the ear, the belly/groin area, and all of the legs. You have to pay extra attention to the white horses because they can get sunburned more easily and the bugs are more attracted to them Not ok - put the reason why here We also sat on the roof of the barn and broke bread into small pieces for the animals. Of course we gave a lot of love to all of the animals as well. Something crazy I saw on my way out was a chicken killing a baby mole. I learned chickens are kind of like goats and will eat whatever they want, also known as an omnivore. Reflection of todayI absolutely love what I am doing at this farm, I know that I am making a difference within this farm and that makes me soon happy. The animals are loving the extra hugs, kisses treats, brushing, cleaning. I am so happy to expand my knowledge and experience with animals with this amazing organization. I love learning all of the animals stories on how they got to Tevaland and if they will have a chance to go back into the wild after rehabilitation or if they will be staying at the farm for the rest of their lives. I think I am good on time for my project, I was having a hard time at first figuring out what I want to do but I think I am good now. They are very flexible here with timing, the "farm chores" I do everyday don't have a specified timeline. I really appreciate this because I love to be able to not just do chores but also love on all of the animals and get to know their individual personalities.
Third day at externship!!!Today at the farm was a little different than most, it was a day called Tali and friends. this consisted of me meeting them at a house full of kids and parents, we all met outside in the backyard and set it up for the kids. This meant laying down a tarp and a sheet and then putting out rolled up towels for each kid to put on their lap. (prevents poop or pee on clothes). The kids are very young which means they always want to be moving around, this makes our job a little more tricky as we have to pay extra attention when the children are holding the animals to make sure they don't hurt the animals or the animals get away. Tali who is also my mentor then gets the children's attention and educates them on animals and tells them the basics of what Tevaland does. Then it was time for the animals to come out, this is enrichment for the animals and a calming mechanism for the children and the parents. The animals that came with us today were baby bunnies, a full grown bunny with a broken back, baby chicks, two ratios (AKA long bunnies) we call them long bunnies so the parents and the kids don't put the "gross" rat stereotype in their minds. We also brought a blind duck with a broken neck. The kids got to participate in many activities such as brushing the bunnies, feeding the rats, helping the baby chicks fly and so much more. Reflection for todayThe place I am interning at is pretty straight forward, the only question I had was where the animals came from, and if they came from all over... They come from a lot of places and are given up by people who can not take care of their animals. High tech high schools do a great job of teaching the kids to do project based learning and hands on learning. So working on a farm I have the perfect prior experience through my school. My daily tasks change everyday but whatever I am doing is a blast and there is always love to give even if the farm chores are done for that day. It's really interesting getting to know the animals on a personal level and how they completely adjust to you being there everyday, in a way they open up to you. It's also crazy to learn the back stories of the animals and the lengths this farm does to accommodate the animals. Like I've said the purpose of this farm is to rescue animals that aren't in the best situations and rehabilitate them, if they cannot be set free into the wild then they will have a forever home on the farm for sure. I am really learning how to multitask and use my time management skills better, because there is only a certain amount of time to feed, clean, give water to and love on the animals, I am really learning how to do more than one thing at a time but more importantly how to do it well.
first day at externship!!!Today was my first day at externship and it was better than I could have ever imagined. My uncle drove me today because he wanted to make sure I knew how to get there and wanted to meet the amazing people that I will be working with. Today I met the other interns and all of the animals. I don't remember all of their names yet because there are so many different animals with crazy names. I’ll post pictures of a few below. I am still figuring out what kind of a project I am going to do for Tevaland, I was thinking about building a new place for the animals to live, but right now, to fulfill the most pressing needs of the operation, my project is finding donations and items they need from their wish list. Right now I am looking through Craigslist for a shed that will be used as part of a new place for more animals to go to help expand. I also had the chance to hold baby bunnies to give them exposure to humans at a young age so they don't grow up afraid or aggressive towards humans. Today was mostly an introduction day. It was so much fun learning where everything is kept and I feel like I belong here. First day reflectionWhat strikes me about where I am interning is that I get to drive up this beautiful mountain to get to the farm. The people are so humble and the care and love for the animals on this farm is so genuine. I feel like they are my kind of people and I really belong here. The people that work/intern here show the care and love they have for the animals, there is no such thing as too much love and that makes me so happy. Everyone has a huge smile on their face and are always happy to do a task or chore no matter how messy it is. I think working here even just for one day has really made me solidify that I want to work with these animals in the future, and I am so glad that I chose the right major. I was honestly worried a little bit about choosing the major animal science without any prior experience, but now I know that it is going to be perfect. I am so excited about everything!! The people are amazing the animals are so loving and amazing. I don't think I could've chosen anything more perfect. I bought a pair of boots for this externship and they have cows on them haha I just love it there so much. I really am not worried about much, I was worried at first that I wouldn't meet my 6 hour a day quota, but they found a job for me to do at home. I can't stay the full 6 hours because she has to be on the farm if I am because of liability issues. I only work on the farm for about 2-3 hours a day and then I work at home on finding things like sheds or donations.
Getting ready to leave!!!I am so very excited to get the larger animal experience since I am majoring in animal sciences in college I want to have some prior experience with those types of animals. On this farm the owner Tali also does outreach programs where she takes animals to schools or groups of kids. This gives enrichment to the animals because it gets them used to different environments and different people, ages and personalities. The animals act as a stress reliever for the children and people as well.
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Makenna albanoMy name is Makenna Albano and I am a senior at High Tech High International, I am attending Colorado State University in the fall and I am majoring in animal science. I have a lot of experience with animals but not as much with larger animals and farm animals. For my senior year externship I chose to fly to New York and work on a farm that rescues and rehabilitates all kinds of animals. I am very excited to get the farm animal experience, at this farm they have all kinds of animals such as goats, horses,bunnies, cats, chickens, pigs, rats, ferrets and more!!! |