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Sponsor an Animal,
Change a Life

Sponsoring an animal at Green Chimneys is one of the most meaningful ways to support our programs, animals, and students! The costs for daily care and maintenance, including food, veterinary care, shelter and grooming, consume a large part of the farm’s annual budget. Your animal sponsorship helps with expenses incurred by the more than 300 animals, birds of prey and injured wildlife residing at the farm.

A Gift for Yourself or for Someone Special

You can support Green Chimneys by giving the gift of animal sponsorship. Animal sponsorship is a unique gift for the holidays, birthdays, graduations, or any occasion. 

Printed Sponsorship
By selecting one of these nine animals, we will mail a printed photo card and letter to you or your gift recipient!

Sponsor an Owl

25

Listen in wooded areas at night and you may hear the trills and whinnies of this vocal bird! Our ambassador red phase Eastern Screech owl was found in 2020 as baby, unable to fly. Due to birth defects, her feathers and wings did not develop properly and she would not be able to live in the wild. She now resides in the dedicated Screech owl enclosure at the Green Chimneys Farm & Wildlife Center, where she helps educate students about birds of prey.
Sponsor an Owl

Sponsor a Rabbit

50

Pancake is the beloved classroom rabbit of our Nature’s Nursery program! He was adopted from a rescue and brought here for our littlest students to care for. Pancake is a Flemish Giant, a breed originating in Belgium as far back as the 16^th century and typically weigh about 15 pounds. They are known to be patient and docile, which makes him an excellent teacher and companion for our preschoolers.
Sponsor a Rabbit

Sponsor Sheep

75

At a nearby farm, a pair of lambs were born to a young ewe who was struggling to settle into her maternal role. After a few hours of trying, the farmer contacted Green Chimneys with the opportunity for our students to raise bottle twins. The lambs arrived that same day and under the skilled supervision of farm staff, the babies thrived as students learned to bring calm energy and gentle hands to feed and care for them. After a taking suggestions from the entire school, they were named Darwin and Dakota. Many bottles later, this brother and sister are learning and growing side-by-side, and with the help of the students, they have mastered walking around the farm by lead rope.
Sponsor Sheep

Sponsor Geese

150

These frilly-feathered Sebastopol geese were given to Green Chimneys as newly hatched goslings, and their eye-catching appearance inspired Green Chimneys students to come up with equally catchy names. The breed is named for the Russian city of Sebastopol, from where it was originally imported to the U.S., and the geese are bred for their feathers, which are typically used for down coats and comforters. But at Green Chimneys, these birds simply get to showcase their distinctive look, and provide students with opportunities in animal care and observation. After a school-wide naming contest, they were dubbed the punny names of Ryan Gooseling & Asparagoose.
Sponsor Geese

Sponsor a Pheasant

250

This beautiful male Reeves’s pheasant was gifted to Green Chimneys by the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy in Litchfield, CT. Native to the temperate forests of central and eastern China, the Reeves’s pheasant is classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to ongoing habitat loss and overhunting for food. This bird is noted for its beautiful tail plumes, which are the longest of all pheasant breeds. A shy and fearful species by nature, student caregivers have learned to approach the bird calmly, and to back away when it shows signs of discomfort.
Sponsor a Pheasant

Sponsor a Mini Horse

100

Good things come in all sizes and Tater Tot has provided a wonderful lesson in animal care and community support. Donated by an elderly couple, this older mini horse arrived at Green Chimneys significantly overweight, prompting a detailed plan to reduce strain on his joints and hooves. A new diet and regimen of daily walks with students helped Tater Tot grow healthier as his vibrant personality and sweet disposition began to shine through. He has since lost 55 pounds and continues to partner with students in trail walks, obstacle courses, and horsemanship classes.
Sponsor a Mini Horse

Sponsor a Cow

500

Green Chimneys has always been home to Benji, a creamy-colored Brown Swiss who arrived in 2016 as a one-week-old calf. Since then he has grown to an impressive size and is the largest of our cattle herd but his calm, quiet demeanor makes him easily approachable, giving Green Chimneys students many opportunities to interact with and learn from him. Benji loves to be groomed and taken for walks, and is very cooperative during handling, which helps when the hoof trimmer visits because Benji no longer fits the stanchion to keep him steady as the trimmer works away!
Sponsor a Cow

Sponsor a Horse

1000

This majestic Percheron-Paint Cross has been part of the Green Chimneys equine program since 2017. Formerly trained in dressage, Chief has great poise and an attentiveness that teaches students about the importance of maintaining calm, confident energy. His size can be intimidating for new students but his peaceful presence invites them closer, engaging their curiosity. Chief’s patient and gentle nature makes him a perfect partner for students who are nervous but want to work with a larger horse.
Sponsor a Horse

Sponsor the Bald Eagle

1500

A local farmer and a Department of Environmental Conservation officer discovered this injured Bald Eagle in nearby Dover Plains, NY, in 2019. It was transported to the Green Chimneys Farm & Wildlife Center, where a wildlife caretaker assessed and secured the bird’s damaged right wing. Further examination by a vet determined that the eagle’s elbow joint was shattered. After four months of rehabilitation, the eagle’s elbow injury was deemed permanent, making survival in the wild impossible. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service permitted the Bald eagle to live out the remainder of its days at Green Chimneys.
Sponsor the Bald Eagle

Digital Sponsorship
Need a gift quickly? Want to maximize your donation? Choose from one of the following Digital Delivery Only options below, and we will instead email you or your gift recipient an exclusive photo of your sponsored animal.

Sponsor Blue Jays

25

Three cheers for the blue team! Two blue jays arrived at Green Chimneys individually but have become quite comfortable together. As members of the corvid family, which includes ravens and crows, blue jays are smart and social. The first bird came from a wildlife center in North Carolina in need of a forever home. An attack by a grackle had caused permanent damage to the young bird, leaving him unable to fly. The second young blue jay had grown too accustomed to people and could not be released back into the wild. The birds live in a spacious enclosure where students can interact with them and observe their intelligent and social nature.
Sponsor Blue Jays

Sponsor a Pig

50

Georgia and Peaches are two of the biggest personalities on the farm. These Kunekune pigs are a notably smart pair and benefit from new enrichment every week; objects of interest, such as carpet samples, cones and basketballs are brought to their enclosure regularly. Kunekunes are a hardy breed that handle cold weather well so Georgia and Peaches live quite comfortably through the New York winter. In warm weather, one of their favorite activities is bobbing for apples in their pond!
Sponsor a Pig

Sponsor a Goat

75

Pumpkin and Patch are Nigerian Dwarf goats, a breed originating in West Africa. They came to reside at Green Chimneys from a local farm in the winter of 2019. Their names were chosen from over 100 submissions from both staff and students. Nigerian Dwarf goats are considered very docile and are often bred as companion animals, which means Pumpkin and Patch have a great temperament for the students at Green Chimneys!
Sponsor a Goat

Sponsor a Gecko

100

Like many of the animals in our wildlife classroom, this female leopard gecko was once a pets in need of a new home. The geckos are popular with Green Chimneys students because they are able to hold them and closely observe their behavior. Handling smaller species also helps students learn how to be gentle with animals. A distinctive feature of the leopard gecko is the tail; it’s where they store their fat and you can tell how healthy they are by its thickness. In the wild, the tail serves as a defense from a predator’s grasp, falling off the gecko’s body for a quick escape and regenerating a new one in its place.
Sponsor a Gecko

Sponsor a Peacock

150

Peacocks were the royal birds of Maharajas in India for centuries. Their beauty and impressive tail feathers make them an eye-catching addition to any landscape. At Green Chimneys, peacocks have roamed the campus freely for many years and the birds are a familiar and calming sight to students, staff and visitors. In late summer, the males shed their long tail feathers, an event eagerly anticipated by students who collect the feathers to decorate their dormitory rooms.
Sponsor a Peacock

Great Blue Heron

250

This Great Blue Heron was spotted at a pond in Westchester County with a noticeably drooping wing. Rescuers brought it to a local veterinarian who pinned the injured wing and while it did improve, ultimately the heron was unable to fully open the wing, and could not be safely released. This impressive 3½-foot-tall water bird now spends its days bathing and catching fish in its habitat at the Green Chimneys Wildlife Center. The heron’s distinctive neck is part of what makes it an efficient hunter, with specially shaped vertebrae that allow it to quickly strike prey at a distance.
Great Blue Heron

Sponsor an Alpaca

500

Alpacas are among the most popular animal partners at the Green Chimneys Farm, largely due to their gentle and social nature. In 2019, we had the opportunity to expand our camelid herd and happily welcomed Claude, Nelson, Loki, and Thor. Alpacas are receptive animals and Green Chimneys students comfortably work with them in caretaking activities and leading them on walks. They are also effective teachers when it comes to helping students maintain a calm demeanor; alpacas pick up on human energy making it important for each student to stop, take a breath, and be mindful about their approach as they enter the enclosure.
Sponsor an Alpaca

Sponsor an Emu

1000

Though emus originate from Australia, this one came to Green Chimneys from the not-so-faraway state of Massachusetts at just three weeks old. The students were devoted to him from day one. They selected the name “Eli” from over 130 suggestions submitted by Green Chimneys’ social media fan base. When he first arrived, Eli shared a stall with a sheep and was visited by students during farm science classes. This approach aided in his socialization with people as well as animals, ensuring he quickly felt like part of the flock. Today he is one of the most confident residents of the farm!
Sponsor an Emu

Sponsor a Camel

1500

Bactrian camel Phoenix arrived in May of 2012 as a gift from the Sacred Camel Gardens in Northern California. Phoenix is a very self-assured but quiet and thoughtful camel, and an important partner in animal-assisted therapy sessions for Green Chimneys students. He has become a Goodwill Ambassador for Green Chimneys, helping to model our philosophy of involving children with animals and showing others that we care about all living beings. Camels aren’t trained in the same way as horses or dogs; Phoenix was raised to be motivated by engagement and curiosity, which makes him an excellent therapy partner for children who need help strengthening their social skills, confidence, and ability to stay focused.
Sponsor a Camel

Increase Your Support
You can provide lasting support to Green Chimneys by sponsoring a habitat that houses multiple animals. To acknowledge your generous gift, we will display a plaque, customized in your honor, for one year!

Sponsor the Clydesdale Pasture

2500

The largest horses in our herd, Clydesdale geldings Danny and Tex, hail from a family in New Hampshire that decided to share them with Green Chimneys to help the students learn about working with draft horses. The team arrived trained for riding and pulling a wagon in tandem; wagon rides provide a unique experience and fun way for students to connect with horses. These horses are part of Green Chimneys’ equine program that includes therapeutic horsemanship, groundwork and work-based learning.
Sponsor the Clydesdale Pasture

Sponsor the Waterfowl Habitat

5000

Nestled between the Teaching Barn and Wildlife Center is an enclosed and temperature-controlled pond for waterfowl, home to several species of ducks, two demoiselle cranes, and even a couple of red eared slider turtles! While the pond is one of the smaller animal spaces on campus, the upkeep is a big job: ensuring the water stays clean, monitoring the temperature, and maintaining the pumps, aerator and heater that keeps the water flowing to prevent freezing. The wildlife at Green Chimneys play an important role in our students’ experience—non-domesticated animals are not able to interact with us like more “cuddly” animals, but still require care & consideration.
Sponsor the Waterfowl Habitat

Sponsor the Horse Barn

10k

The therapeutic benefit of the horses, ponies, and donkeys Green Chimneys our students can’t be understated. Our students participate in equine-assisted activity classes, with an emphasis on developing fine motor skills, body and spatial awareness, and communication. Students not only gain confidence working with equines of all sizes, but compassion. Guidance on how to care for them, with instruction in grooming and feeding, provides the opportunity for bonding and strengthens the connection to the natural world. Your gift will help provide care and treatment to the equines in our program, including thorough veterinary check-ups, vaccinations, visits from our farrier and new tack/equipment. This care also supports a key component of our therapeutic program—the practice of our students providing, and not just receiving, service.
Sponsor the Horse Barn

More Details

• All animal sponsorships are valid for one year
• Print options include a photo card of your chosen animal
• Digital Delivery Only options require an email to receive a JPEG photo optimized for 5×7” printing
• Sponsorship is symbolic and no ownership rights are conferred

For assistance, please contact Samantha Newmark via [email protected]

On behalf of our farm and wildlife residents, and the children of Green Chimneys, thank you for your support!