Interview in "A Checkered Past" documentary with Joaquin Phoenix & Rooney Mara

 Since 2019, I have been leading the Chimpanzees In Need emergency rescue fundraiser focused on safely rehoming the forty two chimpanzees left in limbo when the wildlife refuge caring for them suddenly shut its doors. It's been a massive and overwhelming project stretching across sectors, industries, and communities. It's tested me in a lot of ways, and it's taught me a lot. 

Once in a while, it can also be fun - like when I got to work with filmmaker Shaun Monson, who wanted to film about this urgent need and document the work being done. He brought in animal activists and award winning actors Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, and over a series of shoots, his documentary short A Checkered Past came together.

I am so grateful for Shaun, Joaquin, and Rooney caring enough to work on this and help us spread the word. The chimps will surely benefit from it.

Watch the full short below!

Co-hosted WORT radio show

WORT 89.9 FM is a radio channel based in Madison, WI who invited me to co-host the hour-long Access Hour show with Amy Kerwin, Founder and Director of WI-based primate sanctuary Primates Incorporated. I really do love recording shows like this, so I was happy to accept!

Amy and I spoke candidly about the issues related to primates' use in the pet trade, entertainment, and biomedical research. I talked about the broader issues related to captive primate retirement to sanctuaries, and Amy was able to give more specific feedback based on her experiences. It worked out really well, and we had a lot of fun.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Access Hour: The Importance Of Primate Sanctuaries And Helping Monkeys

I have another podcast interview pending, so stay tuned for more audio interviews like this one!

Guest column published in Ocala Star Banner

As Program Director of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, I am often response for quickly identifying and reacting to instances of primate exploitation in the media. Oftentimes, smaller publications reporting on an event or attraction don't always recognize that they are inadvertently promoting something harmful, and it can be helpful when primate experts point this out to them. 

The Ocala Star Banner printed had an article about an animal care facility (note that I am not using the term "sanctuary") that was holding public painting classes featuring ring-tailed lemurs running loosely over the attendees. While permitting public contact with primate species is always frowned upon by experts, to be doing this during a national pandemic that has been proven to jump across the species line is particularly irresponsible.

I wrote a letter to the paper, who then published it as a guest column. I am grateful that they reacted in concern and appreciation for my advice, and I hope that people who read the article came away leaning a bit more about what a true sanctuary does and does not do with the animals in its care.

Read the article here.