Arrival

After many hours crunched in an airplane seat and roughly meandering through thunderheads, Lauren Chase has made it to Bend, Oregon. But I must clarify, Chimps Inc. is actually outside of Bend...in a mixture of desert, mountains, trees and cowboys. Driving from the airport, a caregiver and I stopped at a coffee drive-up next to what appeared to be some attempt at a old western town.
The actual facility is next to one of the most expensive-looking horse ranches I have seen. The owners, the Day Family, I was told, practically developed central Oregon through the construction trade. I was greeted with curious looking faces by two of the chimps sitting in the indoor play house's window...I have yet to meet them formally.
I am living with two other girls and a guy...we await their arrival scheduled for later tonight. Technically, I should say I am living with two other girls and a guy, several cats, dogs, birds, chimps, lynxes and probably any other creature looking for a home; it is a sanctuary.
The atmosphere seems pretty chilled and the people so far are easy to joke around with. Tomorrow, we will have an orientation and meet the infamous latte-drinkers...and yes, I am talking about the chimps!

Oregon-bound

Less than 48 hours are between me and central Oregon. I'm leaving on the first flight out on Sunday morning and will spend a grand three hours in Denver, awaiting the next flight to Portland. If everything runs smoothly, I'll arrive at Redmond/Bend around 2 p.m. I don't expect it to be too busy---nothing like Denver or O'hare.

There is much information to review while I cross the mountains of America---it's be quite some time since I have seen their jagged peaks. I must step my chimp-knowledge game up! In the carry on: all notes from my class called Primate Conservation Biology, print-outs of chimpanzee quick facts, and my Chimps Inc. intern manual.
However, I will have Beginner's Gaelic on hand too.

One interesting side note, Bend is only a quick drive from Crater Lake National Park which has always been on my list of places to see! SCORE.

8:00 a.m. on Monday will be the start of a month's long experience with one of the animal kingdom's greatest treasures---the chimpanzee.

Kansas City Zoo Chimp Photos

I know this is not "during" my trip to Oregon, but I thought it would be a nice teaser.
I went to the Kansas City Zoo this morning with my parents. The sun was blazing hot, but surprisingly, most of the animals were quite playful. Especially, a 2-year-old chimpanzee, who climbed thin branches to only later fall off of them.

Pre-departure business

There are 26 days left until my departure to the mountainous northwest.

I will be going to Chimps Inc. as an intern and would like to share my experiences with the world!

If you have questions you would like me to address before I leave or during my stay, please feel free to contact me. (lauren-chase@uiowa.edu)

Be looking for not only blogs, but also photos and videos.

You can also follow me for on-the-go updates at Twitter.com/LaurenMSea

To quote Dr. Jane Goodall: "Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved."