Gone but not forgotten, these faculty may have left the farm--or even this plane of existence--but their teachings and their influence remain strong. Not a complete list. In order of most recently departed.
Prez (April 2020-August 2021)
Prez. The turkey who thought she was a girl. Prez loved her solitary outings in the woods a little too much, and one day she simply didn't return. We miss terribly her constant chatter and her daily hugs. She was a special bird, and we like to think of her roaming the land with a group of wild turkeys.
George (2003-August 2021)
Mouser emeritus. George died at an estimated age of 18 years old. Having spent the majority of his time as a city housecat, he had retired to a life of eating, many naps, and a daily evening stroll around the barn. In his dotage, his main focus was on getting his daily tithe of raw goat milk and some cuddles. Learn more about George in "Winter is here", "No animal is an island".
Huitaca (last seen July 2021)
MIA in the bush somewhere. Named for the Muisca (Chibcha) rebel goddess, Huitaca came to us with a reputation for being a skilled hunter and natural killer. Unfortunately, this made it a little too easy for her to live off the land, so she left at the first opportunity she had.
Trillian (last seen May 2021)
AWOL kitty. Trillian came to us as a feral kitten and never really came to accept human companionship in her time here, but did seem to really love the rabbits who were her roomates. She walked like a drunken sailor on account of her cerebellar hypoplasia, and loved to spy on the goings on in the barn from her perch in the rafter.
Peter Kroptkin the Rabbit (March 2020-April 2021)
Peter's life ended mysteriously and unexpectedly, but not before many adventures. He came to the Academy as a young buck and was the founding father of our rabbit colony. Fittingly, one his last living acts was to father yet another of Ida's huge litters. Learn more about Peter in "No animal is an island".
Little Fred Hampton (June 2020-March 2021)
Federica Montseny (February 2018-December 2020)
Something isn't beautiful because it lasts. Federica came to us as a two year old and sadly, was gone before her third birthday. Her short life was plagued with health issues that I didn't fully understand until it was too late. Learn more about Federica in "The Company of Wolves", "No animal is an island" )
Bernie Sanders II (August-September 2020)
Not all chicks make it to adulthood, but Bernie 2 was such a character that his death from hypothermia was especially sad. His relationship with his adoptive mother, J-Bird, taught us much about how different chicks raised by hens are from those who grow up only with their peer group in a brooder.
Neus was our one and only Pendesenca, part of the original crew of ten chicks who founded the Academy's flock. She was also the first of them to die. Learn more about Neus in "What's in a Name?"
Jeffrey (2004-January 2019)
Jeffrey was George's longtime companion, a super affectionate boy who was fond of meowing loudly and sitting in your lap on your laptop keyboard.
