Volunteer Training + Workday Details

ATTENTION: This page has been updated specifically for our Sun., Jan 11, 2026 training. The January date is a training ONLY—there will not be a workday. The first workday of 2026 is Sat., Feb 28.

We are thrilled to invite you to our 2026 Volunteer Workdays + Trainings, a unique series of events designed to give you the opportunity to make a tangible impact in the community while learning valuable skills in the nature-based and animal-assisted therapy space!

Workdays are open for individuals and groups—all ages and abilities! A great way for kids and families to get involved without an ongoing commitment or age restrictions!

Volunteers who would like to join us independently on a regular basis in client sessions or doing animal care MUST attend a Training/Orientation session (1x annually), and must be age 14 or over.

By signing up, you contribute to a meaningful cause and gain invaluable experiences and connections. We look forward to seeing you there and working together to create positive change in our community! Sign up for future Volunteer Workdays and Trainings HERE!

2026 Dates:

Sat 28 Feb • Sat 21 Mar • Sat 11 April • Sat 20 June • Sat 25 July • Sat 29 Aug • Sat 19 Sept • Sat 21 Nov

If you are joining us for our Training:

  • We will begin at 3pm on Sunday, Jan 11—our training session runs about an hour. 

  • This session is designed to give you an overview of our organization and the available volunteer opportunities. We want to make sure you feel that we are a good fit for what you are looking for!

  • If you wish to volunteer in the areas of Animal Care and/or Client Sessions, we will do additional on-the-job training during your volunteer shifts.

  • We will share information on how to sign up for ongoing volunteer shifts during this session.

  • You are welcome to stay after the training to help with volunteer tasks!

If you have volunteered before and are joining us for our Workday:

  • Please note: THERE IS NO WORKDAY ON JANUARY 11, it is a TRAINING ONLY. The below are examples of tasks we do on Workdays.

  • We will have a list of projects ready to go! You can meet us in the Parking Area and we will point you in the right direction.

  • This Saturday we will be working on:

    • Organizing/Cleaning Animal Care Supplies + Inventory

    • Meal prep for the week ahead (feed buckets and hay bags)

    • Deep Cleaning the Windmill Barn

    • Cleaning Donkey and Goat habitats

    • Cleaning Rabbit and Hen habitats

    • Mucking (some) Equine habitats

    • Gardening—Watering plants, weeding

    • Other small miscellaneous projects

Action item:

General Notes:

  • Directions and parking info are pasted at the bottom of this email. Please be sure to use our Main Gate entrance (Google Maps link included).

  • Bring layers! The weather on the farm can vary greatly, and we often have wind!

  • Wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting dirty and closed-toe shoes. 

  • There have been a lot of illnesses going around! We are a small team and several of us are immune-compromised, so you may see us wearing masks around groups of people. If you are sick, or have been sick in the last 48 hours, please refrain from joining us this weekend. Thank you!

If you are no longer able to attend or you have any questions, please contact us.

DIRECTIONS

Important: We are a private, gated facility. We take our client’s confidentiality very seriously and are a HIPAA-compliant center. No drop-ins and no soliciting. Visits are by appointment only, or if you have signed up to join us for an event. For the safety of our clients, you will be asked to leave if you arrive without an appointment. If you would like to schedule a visit or you have an inquiry about our programs, please contact us first!

Click here for a Google Map link/pin to our MAIN GATE.

See complete directions below the map. Restrooms are located in the Lake House and the Windmill Barn.

Use the following address for your GPS – 196 Old Stagecoach Lane, Statesville NC 28625 – but please note, your GPS may want to take you to the wrong entrance! Use the directions below once you are on Snow Creek Road and enter through our MAIN ENTRANCE ONLY. There will be signage at our Main Gate that says "Closed to the Public" (main gate is a large metal gate between stone columns) and it will be open during regular business hours, Mon-Fri. There are also signs that say "EQUUVATION Therapy + Education Center" and "Home of The Discovery Trail." The name of the farm on the stone columns is ROCKY CREEK RANCH. Use this entrance! Click here for a Google Map link/pin to our MAIN GATE.

From I-77 {South or North} -- Take I-77 to exit 59 [Tomlin Mill Road]; turn West on Tomlin Mill Road [L off 77N; R off 77S]. Follow ~ 0.75 mile to a stop sign, turn LEFT onto Jennings Rd. Follow Jennings for ~ 0.50 mile, take your 2nd RIGHT onto Snow Creek Rd. In ~ 0.50 mile, you will notice a fence on the RIGHT that has stacked stone columns with brown wooden fencing. Start to slow down! About 500ft after that fencing starts is a large stacked stone entrance with a metal gate, on the right. TAKE THIS ENTRANCE, which is about 0.75 mile before your GPS may tell you to turn.**

From the West / Rte 115 -- Take 115 N [from I-40] or 115 S [from 421] to Snow Creek Road. Follow for ~ 2.75 miles, you will notice a fence on the LEFT that has stacked stone columns with brown wooden fencing. At this point, your GPS may want you to turn LEFT onto Old Stagecoach Lane (this gate will be closed), but KEEP GOING! This is our service entrance and is ONLY for staff, vendors and full-size school busses. Continue to follow Snow Creek (and the brown fencing) for about another 0.75 mile to a large stacked stone entrance with a metal gate. Turn LEFT into the driveway.

Please DRIVE SLOWLY—animals and humans have right of way always. Follow the driveway for about 3/4 mile until you see a gravel parking area on the right (sign will say ‘Client and Guest Parking’) -- PARK HERE! A representative of our organization will be here to sign you in.

If you arrive at a CLOSED gate with mailboxes on your right, please go back down Snow Creek Road towards I-77 (East) and enter by way of our large metal Main Gate. We will NOT open this gate for attendees, you must access the property through the Main Gate. Thank you!