SGS Updates!
We are going to be sharing some updates on all that has happened in the last few months - and it’s been a lot!
Most importantly, we gained a new board member!!🥳 We are so excited to formally introduce Latha Swamy ❤️ Here’s a little about Latha in her own words:
I view myself, my work, and the world through a lens of anti-imperialism. Therefore, I consider my communities to be those who struggle with, hold, and are healing from intergenerational trauma inflicted through the tools of imperialism (i.e. colonial rule, resource theft, labor exploitation, and other forms of structural violence).
I see my relationship with, care for, and mutual collaboration alongside all animals through this lens, which helps me tap into my inherent belief in power with - not power over - others. I am also deeply curious of and connected to (especially through my food culture!) my South Asian heritage – I am Tamil, a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group with ancestral roots in South India. My lifelong exploration and ever-evolving understanding of my cultural heritage also greatly influences my relationships with animals.
So far in my career, I’ve developed in-depth technical, research, and policy expertise across multiple disciplines spanning academia, government, and independent consulting. Broadly, my portfolio of work examines the relationship between environmental degradation and human health.
In my current work, I seek to manifest community visions of a sustainable and just food system by dismantling municipal and systemic barriers, directly allocating resources, shifting power, and authentically collaborating with (disinvested) community members as well as local, state, regional, federal, and international actors. Throughout all of my work, I believe deeply in non-hierarchical, adaptive, relational networks that support each person’s professional - and personal - journeys.
Most importantly, I am simultaneously the beaming guardian, loyal steward, and bemused staff member for Lucy 🐈, Kaju 🐶, Ela 🐈⬛, Pippa 🐈⬛, and three prized curry leaf trees. 🪴🪴🪴
We are so excited and grateful to have Latha with us. Latha is also a fellow July birthday baby, and her birthday is TODAY! Happy Birthday Latha!!! 🥳
Speaking of birthdays, with your support, we have been able to successfully raise $2,284 for our annual birthday fundraiser! 🤩 With 1 DAY to go you can still help us reach our $5k goal with your gift HERE
With these donations our first order of business will be to purchase the Pivo tech to record our interactions with Mandy so we can bring it into a virtual learning platform while we continue our search for land to begin our in-person work.
[Peep this video if you want to see the Pivo tech in action - also we love the horses escaping from their stalls 😉]
We have also been out in the community building partnerships and learning from local and like-minded organizations.
In June, the SGS team visited Wild Ride mustang sanctuary in Sterling, CT. Wild Ride is an amazing space that, to quote, “lets the horses choose to stay wild.” 🤩
We hiked the mustang-made track system, and got to see some of the positive-reinforcement training done with the mustangs. We hope to incorporate some of these strategies into our future space. Wild Ride is an incredible operation, and we strongly encourage you to check them out!
We are also excited to pilot our first Horse Experience for Kids in partnership with our trainer Farah Dejohnette Whole Horsemanship!
On 8/6 we will travel to Farah’s farm for a three-hour mini-camp where the kids will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty learning about horses, the farm, and all things FUN. Our goals for this project are to
Provide a fun and enriching horse experience for the kids
Learn the ropes of doing this kind of project as an organization
Take what we learn and build it into a sustainable model creating a bridge to consent-based horsemanship for folks who come to learn with us.
Participating in and sharing our fundraisers helps us build towards our vision of creating a healing space in the New Haven area that is welcome for all, and prioritizes mutually beneficial trauma healing for people, horses, and the land.
With every donation and networking opportunity, we grow closer and closer to our goal of securing space to offer community-based programming like farm incubators, workshops and educational opportunities, and equine-assisted services that prioritize equine and land well-being.
We couldn’t have grown this far without you, so thank you, and we look forward to our continued growth together
With all our love,
Nicole and the Stable Grounds Sanctuary Team
