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Country Lessons for Urban Kids, Inc.(CLUK) is a 501 c (3) nonprofit organization and contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We travel to schools to educate children about the care, feeding, habits and histories of animals. We share an experience and description of rural life that most city children will never experience.CLUK, Inc. is funded through the generosity of private contributions; gifts from businesses, civic groups, and service clubs; grants from corporations and foundations; and ongoing fundraising activities such as special events and mailings. CLUK Inc. receives no government funding.
I have always loved animals, and have been surrounded by them since I could walk. At this point in my life, I want to give something back to my community and the way that I can do that is to share my expertise and passion for animals with children, in the hope that they will derive as much pleasure from them as I have.
I have worked in or around horse stables since I turned thirteen and I became knowledgeable about their breeding and training. In college, I took Animal Husbandry courses. I have bred and have had my own Arabian breeding farm.
I wanted to be sure that my own children were surrounded by animals, and now my two sons have learned a lot about taking care of our many animals. I have three Australian Shepherds (I’ve been breeding Australians for about ten years) and I use two of them in my programs. We have four cats that we have rescued over the years but they don’t work well in a classroom situation. I think adoption of cats can teach the importance of compassion and responsibility without some of the demands a dog can bring. I also have a number of chickens of different breeds. I enjoy collecting and eating our organic eggs as well as learning about the different breeds and idiosynchricities of chickens.
Growing up with a Shetland pony was a special time for me. It was just a matter of time before I got another one. We’ve had Casper for three years now, and He’s a kind pony, great with children. We now have added on; last fall we got a miniature donkey we named Dusty and this spring we received a donation of a black miniature horse we named Mischief.
I’ve learned so much from my animals and I want to share that knowledge with young children so that they can learn and benefit from all the animals they encounter.