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The Civic Engagement Center on campus provides students opportunities to get involved in service activities. This last quarter they put together a nut drive for Tatu, Dar, and Loulis.  They put boxes around campus and asked students to donate nuts, and boy did they!  Yesterday we received the bags of nuts and we are now planning nut enrichment!  Thank you to everyone at the Civic Engagement Center and to all the students who donated.  We appreciate all your work and generosity!

Editor's Note: Kelly has been working at CHCI for more than three years, and finished her time here as a Tech, the highest level of training available at CHCI.

December 31st is the end of my three year journey here at CHCI. I came to Central in 2005 for the Primate Behavior and Ecology major not knowing what to really expect. My sophomore year I started as an intern at CHCI and my life has never been the same. Not only have I met some really amazing human primates, but I have had the chance to meet four amazing non-human primates.

Some people find it hard to believe that I would be so strongly impacted by chimpanzees, but what they don't know is the first time you really look a chimpanzee in the eyes, you have a realization that they are so much more complex than you ever gave them credit for, or at least that is how my experience went. It's hard to put into words how it feels to have Tatu invite you into a peaceful grooming session for the first time, or how good it feels to have Dar offer you a kiss on a day when it seems like life is getting too crazy. I think the chimpanzees here have taught me some really great life lessons that I am lucky enough to walk away with. I think one lesson would be to enjoy the little things in life that most people take for granted, like being able to go outside. We aren't able to let the chimpanzees go outside if it is below 20 degrees which, if you've ever been to Ellensburg, can be quite a few days in the winter. I have had a few moments where I would be opening the door and the excitement would be overwhelming.

Yet, most humans don't have to worry about not having the choice to go outside. In fact, as humans we have almost unlimited choices in everything. The chimpanzees here are given as many choices as possible, including who they choose to be friends with, and like any friendship there is a level of patience and forgiveness involved. Some may argue that chimpanzees aren't patient, but if you've ever trained someone to give a drink from a hose you will see a lot of patience on the chimp's part. I have seen people accidentally spray the chimpanzees while trying to give them a drink and the chimpanzees' reaction isn't always anger, but often they may adjust and give the person another chance. I think this may be the greatest lesson I have learned from the family here.

Although I am leaving, I know the chimpanzees will be in good hands and will be well taken care of. So all I can say is goodbye Tatu, Loulis, and Dar. You guys are wonderful and I hope you continue to shape others who have the opportunity to be your friends. To all of the human primates, thank you for always supporting me and thank you for all the good times. I will miss you all.

Today is Tatu's birthday and an exciting day for her indeed, filled with the many treats she loves, pants and hugs from her dear mates, Dar and Loulis.  As I pondered Tatu's birthday this morning on my commute, I thought about her mother, Thelma.  Tatu's birthday, like most mammal's birthdays, really involved two people, Tatu and her mother.  Usually mothers are overjoyed at the appearance of their wrinkled baby.  I wonder how Tatu's mother, Thelma, felt.  On December 30, 1975 Thelma lost her baby.  Tatu arrived in the Gardner's cross-fostering laboratory on January 2, 1976, just 3 days old.  Meanwhile Thelma had a total of 8 babies; she was used as a breeder by the biomedical community.  She went from the Institute for Primate Studies in Oklahoma, to the Laboratory for Experimental and Surgical in Primates (LEMSIP), to Coulston Foundation and now thankfully she is in sanctuary at Save the Chimps in Ft. Pierce, FL.  So Tatu's birthday gave me pause today to think of the sadness that her mother endured on the day she lost yet another baby.  I follow this with applause to the many people who continue to work to end this cycle of exploitation.  Thanks to you all.

 

Here are some pictures from the party today!

 Humans prepping all the exciting treats for the day - including Tatu's favorite: MILK!

Tatu enjoying some of the treats from the party!

Dar stuffed his mouth with three clementines before heading up to the cargo net.

Editor's Note: Tracy is a new graduate student, and will be writing a series of blog entries revolving around adjusting to the culturally new experience that is CHCI.

Home: it's where the heart is. And, according to the Wizard of Oz, there's no place like it. Family and home themes permeated Rockwell's art; John Howard Payne wrote of "Home sweet home;" Frank Lloyd Wright redefined "home..." and I complicated it.

Moving to Ellensburg, Washington, was a very gradual process for me. Having my main "home base" in a Seattle suburb, only two hours away, was both convenient and complicated. I knew I would feel unsettled until I chose a side of the Cascade Mountains and stuck with it. For weeks, I commuted every two days or so, racking up the miles on my little SUV and ratcheting up my blood pressure, as well. The commute was beautiful but tiring, and I found myself getting far behind on what I needed to be working on. I knew I would miss my west side friends and family members, but it was time for the permanent move.

On September 7th, I finally committed to the east side of the mountains, accompanied by everything that I thought I might need.  I say "thought" because I had my boyfriend bring over various sundry items each time he'd come to visit. Scarves, gloves, sunglasses, an extra bag, the dustbuster, extra blankets, a can opener, reference books, art supplies: they all made the march over the mountains, weekend after weekend. And now that my home is full of everything I'll need (and many items that, after some clearer thinking, I probably won't need for the next six months), I finally feel "settled" here.

Getting "settled" at CHCI is another thing altogether, though...

Friends of Washoe & CHCI blog readers:

Dr. Carole Noon passed away on Saturday. Carole founded Save the Chimps in 1997 and continued as president of the organization until her death. Save the Chimps provides island sanctuaries in Florida for more than 150 chimpanzees, and is working to transition the many dozens of remaining Coulston lab chimpanzees to Florida as well. You can read more about the history of Save the Chimps on their website.

"Carole gave so much to our fellow apes and our chimpanzee kin. Chimpanzees have lost a great friend." ~ Deborah and Roger Fouts

"Carole was spirited, determined, and practical, the ingredients to her success in realizing a dream that changed the lives of hundreds of chimpanzees. Founding Save the Chimpanzees was an undertaking of incredible magnitude and I admire her dedication, courage, and realism.  Yes, the chimpanzee community has lost a great friend." ~ Mary Lee Jensvold

The holidays have always been a time for eating to excess, and around here, it's no different. The chimpanzees have the ability to splurge, however, because during the other parts of the year they eat a balanced, healthy diet. When it comes time to make those New Years' resolutions, why not make a resolution to switch to the "chimpanzee diet"?

The chimpanzees here at CHCI eat three well-balanced meals during each day, supplemented with a number of healthy snacks in between. Before each meal, the chimpanzees are served an appetizer of what we call CRACKERS in ASL. The crackers are protein-based biscuits that contain all the nutrients a chimpanzee might need. The chimpanzees are also served vitamins in the morning before their breakfast. The chimpanzees take one multi-vitamin and two calcium supplements each day.

 

In the morning, interns at CHCI serve a fruit-based meal: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays that consists of a bowl of sliced fruit, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays it consists of a fruit smoothie. Based on the season, our current supply, or the chimpanzees' own likes and dislikes, interns can select from a wide variety of fruit ingredients. Dar and Loulis are currently enjoying pomegranate arils in the fruit bowls, while Tatu seems to enjoy smoothies made with apples.

At noon each day, the chimpanzees at CHCI are served a bean-based soup. To make the soup, interns chop up various vegetables (particular favorites include onions, broccoli, and potatoes) and put them into a large pot with one and one-half cup of beans. The type of bean used for the soup changes each day, and includes kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, and even garbanzo beans. The beans are soaked overnight and placed in the pot with the vegetables and a little added water. The soup cooks from eight in the morning until noon when it is served. Before the soup is served to chimpanzees, it is ground up to ensure that the chimpanzees eat all of the nutritious vegetables and beans in the soup. Otherwise, they would pick out the vegetables they dislike! If the chimpanzees eat enough soup, they are served one or two fresh vegetables.

In the afternoon, the chimpanzees are served a carbohydrate-based dinner. This can include basic carbohydrates such as rice, oatmeal, or farina, but can also be more elaborate. Some dinners have included multigrain breads, pancakes, tortillas, or pasta as their carbohydrate base. Dinner is a time for interns to be creative with the chimpanzees' meal, adding fruits, vegetables, or other items.

 

A balanced diet allows the chimpanzees at CHCI to live happily and healthily!

For Central's 2008 Homecoming this fall, the HomecomingCommittee challenged every department on campus to compete for the best frontdoor decorations. The winning prize: free pizza party lunch to the entiredepartment! CHCI students chose to participate in the contest, and designed adoor decoration that included Central's color scheme (crimson and black) aswell as Wildcat spirit, and additionally the unique décor of chimpanzees.Wellington the Wildcat, our school mascot, was featured on the front doorwearing a shirt with a picture of Washoe on it. Loulis, Dar, and Tatu werealso depicted on the front doors. Dar was signing "RED" and Tatu was signing"BLACK" to represent our school colors. On one side of the door, we had"C-H-C-I" spelled out in depictions of chimpanzee hands finger-spelling in ASL. On the other side, we had some CWU spirit with theword "Wildcat" written with paw prints on each side, as well as "C-W-U" writtenout in bold crimson letters.

To add a little more uniqueness, we made a stuffed versionof Wellington, and put him as a display in the side window along with a tablewith some chimpanzee pictures on it. Wellington was holding a book (This IBelieve) that all incoming freshmen read, and that the rest of campus areencouraged to read as well (Central does this every year, it's called the "OneBook, One Campus" program).

Finally, we threw some lightsaround the door to add an extra glow. Students worked very hard for a couple ofdays to make the door décor very special. Judges went all around campus anddeliberated about who should be the winner. Sadly, CHCI did not get firstplace, but even so we certainly had a great time and the door looked so great!And we're going to have our own pizza party anyway! 

 

To see a slideshow of all decorated doors, go to http://www.cwu.edu/~publications/slideshow/slideshow.html 

On Friday February 22, 2008 Mary Lee Jensvold, Deborah and Roger Fouts went to Olympia, Washington, our beautiful state capitol where the State Legislature would vote on a resolution to honor Washoe and recognize the work of the Fouts. Joining us was CWU's new provost, Dr. Wayne Quirk, and the new Interim Dean of the College of the Sciences, Dr. Martha Kurtz as well as Laurie Pond, one of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) first volunteers. Ann Anderson, CWU's Director of Governmental Affairs guided us through the day accompanied by Jake Stillwell, Washington State Student Lobbyist representing CWU and Marshall Shefler, another CWU student serving as a Government Relations Intern.

The capitol building is beautiful. The dome is reminiscent of our nation's capitol and the interior is all marble. Right inside the entrance and at the bottom of a grand staircase leading to the rotunda was a display including a beautiful photograph of Washoe and a description of the project and the work of the Fouts and CHCI. To set the perfect tone there was a string orchestra from the Walla Walla Valley Academy playing music that was acoustically perfect. Sitting along the steps schoolchildren ate their lunches and looked at the display. Even on this day, Washoe continued to carry her message of compassion and respect for our fellow beings.

As we absorbed all of this, the Fouts were greeted by legislators, Rep. Judy Warnick, Rep. Janea Holmquist, Rep. Bill Hinkle, and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson. We then proceeded up to the observation gallery above the floor from where the representatives govern our state. The resolution, which was sponsored by Rep. Judy Warnick with support from Bill Hinkle, honoring Washoe was read. Then Rep. Warnick and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson each read tributes supporting the Washoe resolution. The house then unanimously passed the resolution. The Fouts were honored with warm applause from the Representatives. It was heartwarming to know that the Fouts' decades of dedication to the chimpanzees, to Central Washington University, and its students were being recognized. The House Speaker and CWU alumni, Jeff Morris, described his experience as a freshman in 1982 taking classes in the psychology building. That building was the chimpanzees' home from 1980-1993 and classrooms were above and below the chimpanzees' floor. Classes in adjacent floors, like Speaker Morris', paused when the sounds of the chimpanzees were louder than the lecturer. Speaker Morris described his experience, which brought smiles to the faces of the legislatures.

The Foutses were touched when Rep. Helen Sommers left the floor of the House of Representative to warmly greet them. Later in the afternoon the Fouts had opportunity to visit with Senator Marilyn Rasmussen. She was one of the key sponsors of the budget request in 1990 that secured the funds to build the CHCI building that was completed in 1992. Both Rep. Sommers and Senator Rasmussen were long time friends who were glad to see the Fouts in Olympia again. It was a heartfelt day and we were honored to be a part of it. We all miss Washoe dearly, but it gives us comfort to know she's free and it humbles our soul to know even in death she is teaching us about our place in nature.

From left to right: Rep. Jenea Holmquist, Roger Fouts, Rep. Judy Warnick, Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, Rep. Bill Hinkle, Deborah Fouts

From left to right: Roger Fouts, State Senator Marilyn Rasmussen, and Deborah Fouts.

 

From left to right: Jake Stillwell, Marshall Shefler, Ann Anderson, Roger Fouts, Marilyn Rasmussen, Deborah Fouts, Laurie Pond, Martha Kurtz, Mary Lee Jensvold, and Wayne Quirk

 

Washoe, our beloved friend, passed away on the evening of Tuesday, October 30, after a brief illness. At the time of her passing she was at home at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, with her family and closest friends.

Washoe was 42 years old, a long life for a female chimpanzee. Most females in captivity live an average of 33.5 years.

We would like, here, to answer a few of the commonly asked questions about Washoe's passing.

Q: How did Washoe die?
A: According to Washoe's physician, the best we can say right now is that she died of very old age. Veterinary doctors at Washington State University are completing an autopsy, and Washoe's physician is consulting with them to determine additional details.

Q: What were Washoe's last words?
A: Washoe did not sign the night she died.

Q: Will you get another chimpanzee to replace her?
A: Just as you cannot replace a sister or a mother in your family who has passed away, there is no "replacing" Washoe in this family. Currently, we have no plans to either introduce a new chimpanzee to this family or to introduce the remaining members of this family to another established group.

Q: How are Tatu, Dar, and Loulis dealing with the loss?
A: Washoe's family has been very quiet since her death, very helpful and calm. They are just recently returning to a more typical energy level in their daily activities. Tatu did sign HURT to Roger and Deborah Fouts for a few days after Washoe's death.

Q: Will the project continue?
A: At CHCI, we will continue to do what has always been our first priority--to provide the best home we possibly can for Washoe's family. Research will carry on as well; we will continue to encourage students to develop interesting questions, and methods that are enjoyable and enriching for the chimpanzees. We also have video of Washoe, Moja, Tatu, Dar, and Loulis and written data to last several lifetimes of active research.

Q: What about the hierarchy? Who is the new alpha individual?
A: It is still too soon to determine any changes in the family's hierarchy, and it may well be that no clearly dominant individual emerges. We are not instituting any artificial hierarchy; for example, we are not choosing to serve one family member before the rest during dinner, a privilege that used to be Washoe's as the alpha individual.

Q: What can I do to help?
A: Consider making a donation to Friends of Washoe in Washoe's name. This will help us continue to do what she did so well: care for her family. Instead of a direct donation, you might also consider donating a gift card to Costco, Target, Fred Meyer, Safeway, or similar establishments, so that we can purchase treats, enrichment items, and other things for the chimpanzees. If you'd like to directly support Washoe's legacy, please consider donating to the CHCI Legacy Project, which is working to preserve the video record of the lives of Washoe and the other chimpanzees for generations to come. Write us at chci@cwu.edu for more information.