Governor Bill Haslam, Lewis County Mayor Bill Webb, and Hohenwald City Mayor Danny McKnight have signed official proclamations stating, "The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee continually sets and reaches its goals, and works collaboratively to share best practices to help improve the management, treatment, and care of elephants everywhere."
Calendar of Events:
Throughout the Month:
Throughout the month of October, The Sanctuary's volunteer EleAmbassadors will be giving presentations to civic, social, and school groups across the state (and country).
Over the course of the month, students from all around the world will be introduced to Tennessee through The Sanctuary's online Distance Learning program. The Sanctuary has programs scheduled daily for schools located throughout the United States and as far away as Bosnia.
October 2:
Hohenwald/Lewis County Proclamation Signings by City Mayor Danny McKnight and County Mayor Bill Webb declaring October Elephant Awareness Month – Location Hohenwald City Hall at 1:30 p.m.
Back: Helen Ozier, Laura Jumonville, Lorenda Rochelle, Janice Zeitlin, Todd Montgomery, Joe Rizzo
Front: Hohenwald City Mayor Danny McKnight, Lewis County Mayor Bill Webb
October 7-9:
The Sanctuary is hosting volunteers from the University of North Carolina-Asheville. This will be the third consecutive year that UNCA has sent a group to The Sanctuary! Volunteers at The Sanctuary help with a variety of tasks including landscaping, organization, construction, painting, general clean-up, and much more.
October 13-14:
The Oktober Heritage Festival and 24th Annual Fall Classics Car and Truck Show
The Sanctuary is excited to be a part of this yearly Hohenwald tradition. Visitors are encouraged to stop by The Elephant Discovery Center's Outdoor Classroom located in downtown Hohenwald to learn more about elephants, their role in the wild as a keystone species, and the amazing elephants that reside at The Sanctuary. Visitors can even help staff prepare special edible enrichment treats for the elephants! Inside the Elephant Discovery Center, visitors can peruse merchandise and view the live-streaming EleCams as well as get a sneak peek and upcoming exhibits.
Posters created by the Lewis County Elementary School 2nd Grade will be on exhibit in the Outdoor Classroom. The artists and their families are encouraged to join staff in the Elephant Discovery Center from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. each day for refreshments. The artwork will remain on display for the remainder of October.
The Elephant Discovery Center and Outdoor Classroom will be open from 9:00 – 5:00 p.m. both days.
There are no live elephants at The Elephant Discovery Center and Outdoor Classroom.
October 11-12:
Two third grade classes from Lewis County Intermediate School, adopted by The Elephant Sanctuary, stop by The Elephant Discovery Center to learn all about the elephants and what they do every day in their Hohenwald habitats.
The Week of October 16:
The Elephant Sanctuary Staff shares stories from The Sanctuary with students at Nashville's Whitsett Elementary School.
Two third grade classes from Lewis County Intermediate School, adopted by The Elephant Sanctuary, will stop by The Elephant Discovery Center to learn all about the elephants and what they do every day in their Hohenwald habitats.
October 21:
Volunteers from around the country will participate in The Sanctuary's October Volunteer Day. Over the course of the year, The Sanctuary hosts volunteer days on the third Saturday of each month. To be notified when registration for the 2018 dates is open, sign up for EleNews at www.elephants.com/volunteer.
The Erwin Elephant Revival is a community festival created to benefit The Elephant Sanctuary. As a unified community, Erwin seeks to raise funds and awareness for retired circus and zoo elephants cared for at The Sanctuary. In order to raise additional funds, eight baby elephant statues have been sponsored and painted by regional artists. The elephants are currently on display along the streets of historic downtown Erwin.
A live public auction will be held on October 21 at 6:00 p.m. in downtown Erwin, Tennessee. As a courtesy to those unable to attend the live auction, the Town of Erwin will assign a proxy bidder in the audience to execute your bid. To formally make a proxy request or for additional details, please contact 423-743-6231. All auction proceeds to benefit The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
October 25-26:
Students from the Lomax Christian Day School visit the Elephant Discovery Center and Outdoor Classroom to learn more about elephants and help create some enrichment devices.
