|
|
|
|
| Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship 2008 |
The Chance of a Lifetime
In the summer of 2008 the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust opened a door for me that I could never have opened myself. They awarded me a fellowship to go and meet and learn from canine behaviourists on an epic 5-week journey across the USA.
The Trust award fellowships to individuals every year to travel for at least 4 weeks to any part of the world in the pursuit of their interests. The only requirement they ask of you is to bring back the knowledge you have gleaned and make it freely available to enhance and empower the British people. To find out more or to apply for a fellowship yourself, visit the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust website.
During my time in the US I met with and learnt from the following individuals: Ken McCort, the staff and wolves at the Indiana Wolf Park, Kathy Baudendistel and the wolves of Wolf Creek Habitat, Dr Mary Lee Nitschke, Jan Koler-Matznick, Fawn Pierre, Dr Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, the staff at the San Francisco SPCA, Brenda Aloff, Dr Patricia McConnell, the members of the Ann Arbour Dog Training Club, Virginia Broitman, the staff at the Richmond SPCA, Karen Pryor, the staff at the Helping Hands Monkey Training Academy, Emma Parsons and many others.
Below is a day by day journal of my fellowship travels. Some days have loads of information, others have very little. I've done my best to keep them as interesting as possible!!
|
Battle Ground, Indiana: Wolf Park with Ken McCort, Pat Goodman, Gayle Motter, Dr Erich Klinghammer and Monty Sloane |
||||||
|
Wolf Creek, Indiana: Wolf Creek Habitat with Kathy Baudendistel |
||||||
|
Portland, Oregon: Dr Mary Lee Nitschke and Mendy her New Guinea Singing Dog |
||||||
|
Medford, Oregon: Jan Koler-Matznick and her New Guinea Singing Dogs |
||||||
|
San Francisco, California: Dr Ian Dunbar, Kelly Dunbar, Donna Duford, Fawn Pierre, Jean Donaldson, Sandi Thompson, Janis Bradley and Corinne Dowling |
||||||
|
Midland and Ann Arbor, Michigan: Brenda Aloff and Dr Patricia McConnell |
||||||
|
Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Broitman and the Richmond Animal Care Centre |
||||||
|
Boston, Massachusetts: Karen Pryor, Emma Parsons, Julie DeNucci and The Helping Hands Monkey Academy |
||||||
|
New York: A change of plans, Trish McMillan and the New York ASPCA |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Boston, Massachusetts: Back to Boston for the last couple of days |
||||||
| Day 35 | ||||||
|
A few last words.... |
||||||
|
My favourite photos! |
||||||
If you have any questions or comments please email me at melissa@streetwisedog.co.uk
Special Thank You's to the following people:
Everyone at the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust - for your interest, your generosity and your support
Su Stanton - for tremendous support, love and forbearance
Gavin Stanton - for loving support and faith in me
Bill Dearie - for well-timed help and just being there
Pauline Hinson - for being a great friend and letting me shadow her as she works
Judith Barber - for guiding me through the WCMT Fellowship process
Abi Lemon - for holding the fort in my absence
Angela Young - for a fantastic Press Release
Peter Golding and Fran Difranco - for wonderful references and support
Emily Scott Long of STA Travel - for all her work to keep the costs down and dealing with daft questions