Vegetarian Elementary Visits Catskill Animal Sanctuary

By Published On: 1 July 2013Last Updated: 17 January 2017

New York's first all vegetarian public school recently visited Catskill Animal Sanctuary for an unforgettable day.

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PS 244

It was a joyous day when an article made its rounds on the internet about a school in Queens, New York, which had decided to commit to all vegetarian meals this year. That school was P.S. 244, an elementary school in the Flushing section of the New York City borough. The school had made the brave jump, trading in the rubbery hamburgers and spongy chicken nuggets for meals such as braised black beans and plantains, tofu in sesame sauce, falafels, and veggie wraps. I don’t think any of us remember our school lunches sounding that fresh or that healthy!

After making such headlines, the school did not just stop at switching their food choices, or making an impact at a dietary level. On June 19th, fifty third grade students from P.S. 244 made a school field trip to the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, located in Saugerties, New York. Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a well-known sanctuary founded in 2001 by Kathy Stevens, author of the best seller, Where The Blind Horse Sings and the newly re-released Animal Camp. The sanctuary encompasses 110 acres of land and has given home to over 2,500 neglected farm animals and horses since it opened over a decade ago. It’s open to the public, giving tours on weekends and operating a guest house bed & breakfast for visitors. Catskill Animal Sanctuary also works to inform the public on the negative impacts of agribusiness, and the benefits of being vegan.

Kathy Stevens

The fifty students, many never having been to a rural farm before, were treated to an extensive guided tour, which had them meeting many resident animals. And they really did get up close, personal, and cuddly with them! The students held chickens and turkeys on their laps, like the popular and colorful Emmett. They placed their cheeks against the bellies of 800-pound pigs such as Nadine, Peggy Sue and Groff. They sat in a field with Tucker, a gentle, 2,000 pound steer, draping their arms over him as he calmly sat in the sun. They fed goats, signed a banner to memorialize their visit, and listened to Kathy as she gave them information on why being meat free was just so awesome. The students also enjoyed hayrides, and an exclusive lunch prepared by the sanctuary’s vegan chef.

Hundreds of schools visit the Catskill Animal Sanctuary. In addition, the sanctuary offers educational programs for children, such as an all children’s camp and a vegan cooking program. The trip from P.S. 244 feels remarkably moving and different, however. It was courageous for the school to turn meat free. But arranging a field trip to a peaceful sanctuary full of animals found in a typical school lunch really changed the conversation from being merely about food to about the animals themselves. The school gave the students a chance to connect their personal decisions with the actual, living creatures that are affected by the meat industry. To meet Tucker, or Groff, or Emmett, and see them all happy and care free, students can experience, in their own way, a connection. Whether they take that connection further is up to them, but the school has offered them the opportunity, and that in itself is admirable.

Tucker and Friends

To learn more about Catskill Animal Sanctuary, please visit their website. Like all sanctuaries, Catskill Animal Sanctuary runs on donations, and this is the best way to help their animals continue to live their lives in quality.

Catskill Animal Sanctuary is located at 316 Old Stage Road, Saugerties, NY, 12477.

Photo credit: Catskill Animal Sanctuary used with permission

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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

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