Take a walk along the Bol Park Bike Path to the donkey pasture and find yourself transported to Palo Alto’s past, a time and place of tranquility and rural life. Experience the calming effect of looking deep into Jenny’s soulful eyes or stroking Perry’s ears. Escape the bustle of stressful Silicon Valley and enjoy some donkey time.
Donkeys were part of Barron Park’s history before it was Barron Park, dating to the early 1930s when Cornelis and Josina Bol settled from the Netherlands in the unincorporated neighborhood that would become Barron Park. Cornelis Bol was a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford and the inventor of the vacuum tube. The Bols had a farm and a small herd of donkeys in the land destined to become Bol Park, sharing their love of donkeys with the neighbors and their children. As time went on, and the neighborhood grew, the residents taxed themselves to preserve Bol Park as a peaceful haven maintaining the pastoral environment. When the Bol family dissipated and died, neighbors stepped up to take over care of the donkeys and the tradition began.
Mickey, born in 1967, was the last of the Bol donkeys and became the first Barron Park donkey, loved and provided for by a group of five residents upon Josina Bol’s death. Perry (Pericles) joined the pasture in 1997 after being fired from his position of polo pony companion at the Stanford stables for biting his charges. He was joined the following year by Niner (Miner 49-er) transported from Los Altos when his family moved away. Perry, a miniature donkey with a tremendous personality, was born in a stable in New York in 1994, but Niner’s exact age was unknown because he was born wild in the desert captured in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) desert round-up. Both Mickey and Niner were standard donkeys and all were Jerusalem variety, displaying the original coloration pattern of the African donkeys of light brown with dark brown cross across shoulders and back. Mickey died later that year (1998) just after his 31st birthday, and Perry and Niner became a bonded pair for nearly 20 years despite some early jockeying for position.
Perry served as the model for Donkey in “Shrek” (NOT an urban legend!) with animators from local company Pacific Data Images visiting the pasture over a week in 2000 for observation and recording sessions.
Niner died in 2016 at approximately 32 years, and the search began for a new companion for Perry as donkeys are herd animals and best with company. The lovely Jenny, a standard donkey also captured wild by BLM like Niner, joined the pasture in November 2016 to become the newest Barron Park Donkey.
HOW TO DONATE
The Barron Park Donkeys are 100% community-supported through donations to cover food, veterinary care, and essential supplies as well as pasture lease. They are cared for entirely by volunteer handlers, currently about 2 dozen.
For many years, the donkeys were managed and loved by neighbors but not owned by anyone until a contract was signed with Acterra, a Palo Alto non-profit organization for environmental issues and sustainability.
Donations to the donkeys’ care are tax-deductible and much appreciated!Current volunteer opportunities include donkey handler (2 substitute positions) and website designer.
Contact barronparkdonkeys@gmail.com for information. // www.barronparkdonkeys.org
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