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This Year's Project: Building habitats for Eddison (Kangaroo Korner) & Cosmo (Porcupine Pad)
About Our Organization
Whispering Acres Tails and Treasures is the home of Whispering Acres Petting Zoo and Whispering Acres High Hopes Equine Assisted Learning Center. Whispering Acres Petting Zoo has a host of different animals to hold, feed and pet. It is well known that interaction with animals can decrease levels of cortisol, lower blood pressure, reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support and boost your mood. Whispering Acres High Hopes Equine Assisted Learning programs empower children and adults with physical, mental, emotional and social challenges to create more active, healthy and fulfilling lives through Equine Assisted Activities. We are a resource for individuals, families, organizations, schools and the military to utilize experiences to foster positive character, leadership development, learning and to build sustainable support to achieve continued growth.
Current Project: Building habitats for Eddison (Kangaroo Korner) & Cosmo (Porcupine Pad)
Whispering Acres Tails and Treasures is a non-profit 501(c) 3 with compassionate staff and volunteers that have a passion for wanting people to live their best lives. Whispering Acres Tails and Treasures is home of Whispering Acres High Hopes and Zoo. The Zoo has a host of different animals to hold, feed and pet. It is well known that interacting with animals can decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost our mood. Whispering Acres is home to over 100 animals and 34 different species. Our project this year is to build new habitats to a couple of the animals that are here for people and help boost thier moods. Both Eddison, a Red Kanagroo and Cosmo, an African Crested Porcupine. Just by their behaviors, it was obvious that both of them came from neglectful places and came to us unexpectedly. They are in spaces that are keeping them safe and dry, but the best environment for their species. Our project this year is to raise funds to give them their own space, to include a shelter to keep them warm and dry, a place to be able to explore and get excercise, a space for them to feel safe and call their own. To build a Kangaroo Korner and a Porcupine Pad, it is estimated to cost $16,000.00. By raising 5,000.00, we will be able to get a good start in giving Eddison, Cosmo and many of the animals at WA their personal spaces and their forever homes.
Sidewalks for handicap accessiblity
Project Details
Whispering Acres has added a Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding progam to our already very essential programs. Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding is a physical, occupational, and speech therapy that utilizes the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor, and sensory input. It is based on improvement of neurologic functions, and sensory processes. Hippotherapy has been used to treat patients with neurological or other disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, head injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, behavioral and mental disorders. Whispering Acres is a certified Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding Facility. Most of the particpants are wheel chair bound or have mobility issues. We have been able to add ramps and are still working on putting in sidewalks so we can increase the number of peoSidewalksple that will be able to use our services. Along with using the High Hopes horses, Whispering Acres is also home to a Petting Zoo. We have a host of different animals for the public to hold, feed and pet. Putting in a sidewalk to each of the animal enclosures will help be able to get wheelchair bound people to the different animal sites. It is well known that interacting with animals can decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood. Putting in sidewalks will be a huge addition to how we can serve handicapped individuals. The total project is over 42,000.00 but we are trying to put the sidewalks in sections at a time.
Handicapped Accessibility
Project Details
Whispering Acres is expanding to include Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding to our already very essential programs. Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding is a physical, occupational, and speech therapy that utilizes the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor, and sensory input. It is based on improvement of neurologic functions, and sensory processes. Hippotherapy has been used to treat patients with neurological or other disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, head injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, behavioral and mental disorders. Whispering Acres is a certified Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding Facility. Most of the particpants are wheel chair bound or have mobility issues and making Whispering Acres handicapped accesibleby putting in sidewalks and ramps will increase the number of people that will be able to use our services. Along with using the High Hopes horses, Whispering Acres is also home to a Petting Zoo. We have a host of different animals for the public to hold, feed and pet. Putting in a sidewalk to each of the animal enclosures will help be able to get wheelchair bound people to the different animal sites. It is well known that interacting with animals can decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood. Putting in sidewalks will be a huge addition to how we can serve handicapped individuals.
Therapeutic riding saddle
Project Wrap Up
In 2021, we exceeded our goal and raised 2,100.00. However, instead of buying a saddle, the staff at Whispering Acres decided an better fit for the funds were to receive more in-depth training into Adaptive Riding. We went through an intense 3-day training to learn how to get disbled individuals mount and unmount as well as learn all the hand holds to keep our participants safe. Because of your generousity, we received the training needed to become a certified Hippotherapy/Adaptive Riding Center.
Project Details
This year we are asking for some help in buying a therapeutic riding saddle for the kids in our alternative riding programs. These saddles start at 1,500.00 and go up from there. Therapeutic riding is an equine-assisted activity for the purpose of contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being of individuals with special needs. Therapeutic riding provides benefits in the areas of health, education, sport and recreation & leisure. These types of alternative riding, using therapeutic saddles seek to decrease spasticity through positioning and weight bearing, increase range of motion, strength and endurance, and improve balance, mobility, head and trunk control.
Participant scholarships
Project Details
Scholarships: We are hoping to be able to provide funding for low income children and adults to allow them participate in Equine Assisted Learning activities.
Horse Sponsorship: We also have a several horses that could use a sponsor due to their medical needs. Most of our horses are elderly and need extra care.
Marketing: We would also like to some marketing tools to help us get the word out about the work that we do and what we can offer our community.