While many of their peers were spending their Spring Break relaxing, a group of students from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC spent their vacation volunteering at The Elephant Sanctuary.
The University's Alternative Service Experience program encourages students to "serve, learn, explore, and make a difference in the community on a local, national, or global level." The students helped out with a variety of work projects on and around The Sanctuary's grounds: planting saplings that will eventually be food sources for the elephants, painting the interior and exterior of The Sanctuary's elephant barns, and clearing honeysuckle vines from the fence lines. A special project was the creation of "enrichment devices" for the elephants, rubber tires filled with bamboo and grapevines (donated by Amber Falls Winery and Vineyards). The group also spent time at the Hohenwald Depot cleaning and organizing the Hohenwald Marketplace space under the supervision of Chamber of Commerce Director, Debbie Landers. "Learning about The Sanctuary, the lives of the elephants living there, and the community surrounding it was very impactful," said the group’s student leader, Taylor Cromer. "We are very thankful for this experience."
