Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey McNeny and Simon McNeny.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lindsey and Simon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My husband Simon and I started our non-profit organization over five years ago after working for multiple leading zoological facilities around the US. We made the decision to begin Window To The Wild in order to make a difference in the community by bringing engaging wildlife encounters to the DFW area. Our dream was to educate the public about our local wildlife and do that by partnering with local rehabilitation centers to give homes to injured and human raised wildlife that could not survive on their own in the Wild. Over the past five years, we have grown to house 44 animals currently and in 2018 brought over 154 programs to locations all over the DFW area.
Has it been a smooth road?
Our initial struggle with beginning our non-profit was start-up funding for animal enclosures and the other items necessary to house these animals. Another big struggle was booking programs with our animals in order to educate and bring in more funding. Our most recent struggles have been keeping up with the funds for our current overhead, with this we have multiple part-time jobs to pay our bills and that takes time away from our animals and programming.
Tell us more about your business.
Window To The Wild is a unique company dedicated to training wildlife for public education by providing personal interactions with the beautiful cohabiters of our planet. We incorporate nature into the steel and concrete environments of our manmade world by bringing live, interactive displays of the wonders of nature to unusual and unexpected places. We create an incredible visual experience for the discerning adventurer who is looking for a unique and unforgettable experience. Guests will be able to watch birds free-flying naturally due to our skills in harnessing the birds’ innate habits and turning instinctive behavior into breathtaking visual displays. These striking performances educate the public about conservation and heighten awareness of various animal behaviors.
What we are most proud of is the health and welfare of our animals and the way that we work with them using only positive reinforcement training techniques. We specialize in reading the body language of not only our animals but also our audiences, which helps us to adapt to every crowd.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Unfortunately due to many misinformed public and animal activists, the zoo industry is really struggling to stay in a positive light. We believe that AZA-accredited zoos and institutions are necessary for the survival of our wildlife for our future generations. Many organizations are moving away from old school habits and enlarging exhibits, adding multi-species exhibits and changing training towards all positive reinforcement techniques to enrich their animal’s lives.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2658 County Road 2226
Caddo Mill, Texas 75135 - Website: Www.WindowToTheWild.org
- Phone: (214)984-6629
- Email: window2wild@gmail.com
- Instagram: Window_to_the_wild
- Facebook: Window2wild
- Twitter: Windowtothewild
Image Credit:
Don Chamblee
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