Wednesdays in July the SunDog Outdoor Leadership Initiative and Darrowby Farm Sanctuary are collaborating in creating service learning opportunities for local middle schoolers.
 
For three years, Sundog has worked with rising 6th and 7th graders at Camden Rockport Middle School offering an outdoor leadership program. The program provides a mix of outdoor activities like hiking, and canoeing while teaching leadership skills and core values like integrity and craftsmanship.
 
One of the goals of the programming is to connect Sundog participants to their community in a meaningful way. Through service and conversation, the participants are able to develop tolerance, empathy, and compassion empowering them to know they too can make a difference in our region.
 
This summer Sundog has partnered with Darrowby Farm Sanctuary, in Jefferson, to provide that service learning component of their program.
 
Darrowby Farm Sanctuary rescues and provides a safe and lifelong home for neglected, abused, or abandoned farm animals, and educates people about living a mutually beneficial life with those animals. By providing a sanctuary for animals, educational opportunities for all ages, and support for those looking to make ethical choices, Darrowby strives to reduce suffering and create a more compassionate world.
 
Each Wednesday during July a group of students accompanied by staff come to the sanctuary grounds to learn about what it takes to care for farm animals, what it means to run a sanctuary, get a chance to give their time and energy to a community group, and reflect upon the core value of integrity.
 
The students have helped to clear rocks out of a pasture to make it safe for horses to graze. Unloaded and measured a week's worth of pig food – having one student express how they can't believe pigs eat that much. Cleaned out goat stalls, and enjoyed spending time with Darrowby's staff and animal residents.
 
Sundog staff guides students with opening and closing circle activities to facilitate student reflection and engagement with core practices of the program. During those conversations participants have said that they are excited to come back and volunteer again. Their favorite parts of the time were seeing newborn piglets, grooming goats, and working as a team to remove giant rocks from a field that will soon be a grazing area for rescued horses.
 
The last day of the collaboration for this summer will be Wednesday, July 31. Participants are at the sanctuary from 9 - 11:15 a.m.