Volunteer Spotlight: Rachel
Rachel started at Heartland in the Fall of 2018, and she’s since been an incredibly consistent and reliable member of the Thursday AM shift. We’re so grateful for Rachel’s reliability, her mad mucking skills, and her willingness to take on miscellaneous tasks such as filling waters and cleaning up the straw and hay room. We also appreciate Rachel’s calm energy, her special relationship with our cows, Beau and Daisy, who passed away last year, and her commitment to lovin’ on Fonsi donkey after he lost his brother, Chachi.
Why Heartland? I’ve always been involved with animals in one way or another —with family pets, volunteering at the humane society and working with cows. In 2018, I went back to school at UW-Madison for dairy science and became interested in animal welfare. Many farm sanctuaries across the country started popping up on Facebook so on a whim, I Googled to see if there were any local farm animal rescues. Luckily I found Heartland and before I knew it, I was driving to the sanctuary for my first day.
What do you love most about volunteering at HFS? Heartland is my weekly reset. I enjoy coming every week to leave the rest of the stressful world behind and just be in a loving spot with all the animals and their different personalities. While there will always be loss at a sanctuary, Heartland has taught me to slow down and cherish the moments we do have together. I love watching the animals grow, trying new things, exploring their world and letting their goofy sides show.
Who is your favorite sanctuary resident? Like many volunteers say, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Animals I’ve connected with most across the years include goats Waylon, Sunflower and Billy; Maxwell big pig, and as previously mentioned, Daisy and Beau cows. An animal I have happily grown to love is Harriet mini pig and her bedhead. While all the animals put a smile on my face, Fonsi donkey really touches my heart. I love seeing him be courageous after losing his brother, how excited he gets when I put on his pasture gear to go outside, and how he picks up his pace when he sees me with a bag of carrots.
What do you enjoy doing outside of Heartland? My life outside Heartland is surrounded
by my three Siberian Huskies who I love spending time with. My family is quite close and we love going on outings, such as Cave of the Mounds and Wisconsin Dells. My other hobbies include crafts, gardening, watching crime mysteries, trying new recipes and hiking.
