Founded in 1947 by the Ross family when Dr. Barney Ross bought a farm called Green Chimneys, the Green Chimneys School today has become widely recognized as a superior residential and day center providing high-level treatment for children ages 5–18 with special needs. The school’s goal is to keep children out of psychiatric hospitals and to help them lead healthy, productive lives. Using 400 animals–including camels!–as part of the therapy, children learn new paths to avoid problematic behavior. The Green Chimneys’ Paul C. Kupchok Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, featuring birds of prey, is a well known Hudson Valley tourist attraction, and the center, open to the public on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., receives about 20,000 visitors a year. You won’t want to miss this interview with Executive Director Joseph Whalen (Lions) and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Martin Vigdor (Rotary, Assistant Governor).
view more