Check out our inspiring Ocean Guardian students engaging in hands-on environmental stewardship projects-
NOAA Ocean Guardian Schools strive to protect and conserve their local watersheds, national marine sanctuaries, and the ocean. Under the program, PreK–12 schools propose and implement a school- or community-based stewardship project, spanning five program pathways: Watershed Restoration, School Garden/Habitat, Energy and Ocean Health, Marine Debris, and 6Rs (Rethink/Reduce/Refuse/Reuse/Recycle/Rot).
Does your school want to make a difference and help protect the ocean and environment for future generations? The 2024–2025 Ocean Guardian School application will be available to download from our website by April 1, 2024. Stay tuned for more updates!
We all have opportunities every day to change the world, let this day be one of them! On “Make A Difference Day” and in the spirit of “Bat Week,” take extra steps towards helping our bats!
Happy National Make a Difference Day — Go Hug a Sheep!
At Farm Sanctuary, every day is cause for celebration as we honor the difference we can make by putting compassion first.
Today, October 28, is National Make a Difference Day — a wonderful opportunity to make the world a better place in your own special way. On this day, we remind ourselves that every act of kindness, no matter how small, makes a difference — be it volunteering; sharing a compassionate meal with friends; or offering one of the simplest and best gifts we can give: a hug.
Coincidentally, today also happens to be National Hug a Sheep Day — as though we needed another reason to hug our ovine friends! (Of course, since each sheep is an individual, we only hug the ones who enjoy being hugged.)
Sadly, sheep sometimes get a bad rap — for example, calling someone a “sheep" can be seen as an insult, implying that a person is mindlessly following the crowd. In reality, sheep find safety in their flocks — which we think you’ll agree is is hardly mindless, but instead very smart! In learning to see and value these animals as they truly are, we can get to know each one as the unique individual that he or she truly is.
Sheep — and all farm animals — have much in common with the companion animals most of us know better. For example, did you know that sheep wag their tails when they’re happy, like dogs, and paw at their friends for attention, like cats? And as we see every day at Farm Sanctuary, each one of these amazing animals has his or her own unique personality and preferences — and we are lucky enough to get to know and love them all!
Here are just a few reasons why we celebrate National Hug a Sheep Day — and why we celebrate sheep every day!
Pals Amy Gaetz and Liam sheep.
Farm Sanctuary Caregiver Amy Gaetz has a special bond with Liam sheep — a survivor of neglect who found love and healing at Farm Sanctuary.
Liam loves to play (gentle) head-butting games with Amy.
“When he first came he was frightened of us and hid any time we came into his area,” Amy recalls. “But he very quickly learned that we were friends and had no ill intention toward him, and he became such a friendly sheep. He loves head-butting! One day, early on after he arrived, I stayed after work and played with him for half an hour. He just backed up, ran full speed at me, then stopped just in front of me, and head-butted the palm of my hand very gently — for half an hour. He never got tired of it. Now, any time I go into the sheep barn, he comes running over for head-butt games. He’s always gentle with me, and never seems to grow tired of our little routine.”
Dana Penman hugs her best girl, Connie sheep, while Jordan goat tries to get in on the Hug a Sheep Day action!
Caregiver Dana Penman has a special connection with Connie, whom we rescued from neglect last year. (Fun fact: Dana even got to name her beloved sheep friend!)
Connie (right) is mom to gregarious son Ash, who's growing up safe and sound at Farm Sanctuary following the pair’s rescue.
“Being there since the beginning of Connie’s life here at Farm Sanctuary, I got to watch as her walls came down and she learned to trust me,” Dana says. “Now, I get to see her grow into a wonderful mother and a one-of-a-kind personality. She is amazing and my heart is forever changed because of her.”
Connie lovingly follows Kameke down the pasture — once you’ve bonded with a sheep, you are friends for life.
And Dana’s not the only one who’s been moved by Connie’s love and sweet nature: Volunteer Program Coordinator Kameke Brown shows us in the video above just how much Connie’s life has changed since coming to Farm Sanctuary. Once frightened, she now loves to show her affection for her new human friends.
“I have so much appreciation for the sheep friends I’ve made since coming to Farm Sanctuary,” Kameke says. “When it comes to our human relationships, there can sometimes be a lot of uncertainty and fear around the vulnerability of opening yourself up to love or being loving in those relationships. But with the sheep, they’re very clear about wanting love or attention or to be interacted with … they’ll chase you down or run up to you to be pet or snuggled! It’s taught me a lot about allowing myself to be open-hearted and vulnerable and it makes me feel really grateful, as an ally working in solidarity with farm animals, to actually be able to build relationships with them and to get to know them as the unique individuals they are.”
Kameke shares a hug with Adriano, the leader of the flock and a fan favorite.
Tour Guide Chelsea Jamieson also has a soft spot for our beloved flock leader. “Adriano is one of the first sheep I met at Farm Sanctuary,” Chelsea recalls. “I love his peaceful, steadfast, and kind personality. Being around him always brings me such joy!”
Chelsea embraces Adriano, who was rescued as a lamb.
Associate Editor Sam Goldstein is another fan of Adriano’s, but is perhaps even closer with his mom, Florence. Rescued from a backyard butcher more than five years ago, it took some time for Florence to warm up to humans — and these days, Sam considers herself lucky to be one of those people.
Sam and Florence spend some quality time together on pasture.
“Florence is very special to me,” Sam says. “She is one of the best friends a girl can ask for. She’s introverted like me, and tends to shy away from larger crowds — but there are times when I’ll enter the barn and she will come running across it just to say hello. She’ll find me before I even see her.
“Florence is the kind of friend whose friendship you don’t have to think about — you always know it’s there. I’ll sit beside her and rub her chest, and she will inch forward — gently stepping over my legs — until I reach a favorite spot on her belly. She’ll close her eyes and smile when I pet her. She’s the perfect friend to see when I’m feeling down and just need a hug — she is so gentle and welcoming and we can both feel safe just being in each other’s presence.”
Maddie snuggles with her best friend Ash.
Through our relationships with sheep, we may learn important things about ourselves. Just ask Tour Guide Maddie Krasno, whose incredible bond with Ash demonstrates how love is the strongest power of them all.
“Through his outright insistence to snuggle each time I enter his barn and through his eagerness to greet strangers with the same gentleness and determination to cuddle that he shows his old friends, Ash has demonstrated the magnitude of influence one individual can have on another,” Maddie says. “Sanctuary visitors who meet Ash are unlikely to forget him — his smiling eyes, his calming presence, and his love for hugs. That that is the difference I want to make in the world — one that is positive and ultimately evokes empathy in others for all sentient beings.”
Jessica hugs Mo, the boy who opened her heart to sheep forever.
Caregiver Jessica Due agrees. “There is something magical about sheep,” she says. “Maybe it's their sweet disposition, kind faces, and soft hair, or maybe it’s the fact that even though humans do unspeakable things to them, they are still willing and eager to love us. I am constantly in awe of the love they have for us and Mo has changed my heart forever.
Mo relaxing in the barn at our Southern California Shelter.
“Before Mo, I hadn't bonded with a sheep before — most of my heart belonged to the other farm animal species,” Jessica explains. “Then Mo came into my life with his kind smile, mischievous eyes, and graceful step, and my heart was never the same again. Sheep have now taken over a huge part of my heart for themselves.”
Erin Dansevicus enjoys quality time with her best friend Louise sheep.
Monthly Giving Coordinator Erin Dansevicus identifies with Louise sheep, who inspires her to celebrate the inherently special qualities we each possess. Rescued from extreme neglect while pregnant, Louise gave birth to twin boys Reuben and Summer at Farm Sanctuary — and despite her difficult past, she inspires us to savor the beauty in each day.
Louise (front) with family members Summer, Reuben, and Hazelton.
“Louise has a natural ability to be both beautiful and powerful, as if the two are synonymous, as if love is the power we are all born to emanate,” Erin says. “She is shameless in her desire for love, attention, and a good back scratch, and her natural presence teaches me to simply ‘be’ in each moment. She also reminds me to not take life so seriously – I am always amazed at her ability to make me laugh. I am so lucky to call her my friend and teacher.”
Kelsey Bomboy and Joel sheep share a tender moment.
Tour Guide Kelsey Bomboy has also observed that no matter what these beings have been through, they still have so much to teach us about the healing power of love. “Every day I am blown away by how loving, forgiving, and patient Joel is even after all he’s been through,” Kelsey says. He always has a calming presence which means he’s the best to cuddle with after stressful days!”
Ash, Connie, Brianna, and Bob sheep join in for a group hug with their good friend Brianna Symmonds.
Sheep have a special way of making us feel welcome — helping us feel at ease and reminding us that we all have a place. “Visiting with the ‘sheeple’ is such a privilege,” Tour Guide Brianna Symmonds explains. “It’s thrilling to know them and to always feel welcomed into their community.”
Breezy Rondilone enjoys a snuggle session with good pal Violet sheep.
“The sheep barn is the place I go when I need a little extra love,” adds Program Coordinator Breezy Rondilone. “Violet has a way of just knowing. She rests her head in my lap and my heart always feels full. Sheep really do make the best, most supportive friends.”
Bob and Ash welcome Liza back to New York during her most recent visit.
Even if a long time has passed, sheep remember their best friends. “After a three-month internship in New York, I became very close with the animals, especially the sheep,” says Volunteer Program Coordinator Liza Kahn. “I now work at the Orland shelter and only come back to New York for visits. When I walked into the sheep barn, they surrounded me with hugs and hellos. I truly missed them!”
Katherine sheep enjoying a fall day in the pasture.
There are plenty of ways to make a difference for sheep and all farm animals, on this day and every day — and it’s as easy as showing affection to a sheep in person or offering virtual hugs wherever you are. While visitor season is winding down for the winter at our New York Shelter, we host public tours through the winter months at our Southern California Shelter every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Not located in the Los Angeles area? No problem! You can take a virtual tour of our New York Shelter or check in with our wooly friends on the explore.org Sheep Barn Cam and Sheep Pasture Cam! Together, we can change hearts and minds about our relationships with farm animals by getting to know these incredible individuals and spreading the word that they’re each someone, not something. Making a difference is just a hug away — and we each have the power to choose compassion every day.
For more Farm Sanctuary updates, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Want to meet our rescued residents in person? Learn how to visit here. Want to help? Your support makes our rescue, education, and advocacy efforts possible. You can also help by sharing our residents’ stories to spread the word that farm animals are sentient beings deserving of kindness and care. A compassionate world begins with you!
Superior Edge is a great volunteer program within the Center for Student Enrichment. We will be sharing quotes from students who have either finished one of the four edges; Leadership, Citizenship, Real World and Diversity, or they’ve completed all four edges and have earned the Superior Edge. Up next is Hailee Petosky, an alumni from Munising, Michigan who completed the Citizenship Edge:
Hailee: As a Northern student, Make A Difference Day is on everyone’s radar. My freshman year I had no idea what this was all about, but as a senior, it has gained a lot of meaning and holds a special place in my heart. Helping the elderly and disabled people complete yard work and being rewarded with a cup of hot chocolate and a smile is a gratifying feeling. This event taught me that a small inconvenience to yourself is worth so much more when you know you’re helping someone.
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