R Rhinory · 55 acres · Fredericksburg, TX
A 501(c)(3) Foundation · Est. 2024
Conservation

We didn’t want
to write a check.
We built a place.

Rhinory was started in 2019 by two people who saw a rhino poached in South Africa and refused to look away. Today it is a 55-acre Texas Hill Country winery, a sanctuary for one Southern White Rhino named Blake, a 501(c)(3) named after them both — and seven figures of pledged support to the field organizations doing the actual work of keeping rhinos alive on this planet.

Rhinory Foundation Read the 2024 Ledger
I · Origin 01

It started in South Africa.
It came home to Texas.

One trip. Two rhinos poached nearby. A flight home. A 55-acre family ranch on Hwy 290, six years of permits and welfare design, and a young Southern White rhino named Blake. This is how an unsentimental commitment becomes a working winery.

Craig & Chesney · founders Craig & Chesney · founders
A field of grief, a field of grapes

South Africa, 2016. Two rhinos. Then a decision.

In 2016, Craig Stevens and Chesney Castleberry were on safari in South Africa when two rhinos were poached nearby. Traumatised and resolved, they came home and asked a quieter question: what would it take to do something — at home, on the land we already have, with what we already do well?

Craig’s family has farmed this Hill Country land for generations. The answer was a winery and a sanctuary on the same 55 acres. Same fence line. Same staff. Same mission. By 2019, Blake — a young Southern White Rhino — had moved in. He was the first ambassador, and he is still the heart of the program.

We didn’t want to write a check. We wanted to build a place where saving rhinos and pouring great wine were the same act. — Craig & Chesney, founders
2016 South Africa trip · the moment
2019 Blake arrives · 55 acres open
2021 First IRF partnership
2024 Rhinory Foundation · 501(c)(3)
II · The crisis 02

Five species. One vanishing subspecies. Six futures worth fighting for.

The math is not abstract. There are five rhino species and one critically endangered subspecies on Earth, and three of them are functionally on the edge. The five species are below. The sixth story — the Northern White Rhino — sits one section down.

01 Southern White Blake Ceratotherium simum · Africa Status ~16,800
02 Black Rhino Diceros bicornis · Africa Status ~6,400
03 Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros unicornis · Asia Status ~4,000
04 Sumatran Dicerorhinus sumatrensis · Asia Status ~50
05 Javan Rhinoceros sondaicus · Asia Status ~76
+1 Subspecies Northern White Ceratotherium simum cottoni · Africa Status 2

Source · IUCN African & Asian Rhino Specialist Groups · 2024 estimates

Threat 01 Poaching for horn

Driven by demand in some Asian markets — keratin, the same material as fingernails, sold for more than gold by weight.

Threat 02 Habitat loss

Conversion of grasslands and forest to agriculture and infrastructure across Africa and Southeast Asia.

Threat 03 Population fragmentation

Small isolated groups can’t maintain genetic diversity. Without managed transfers, even safe rhinos slowly run out of options.

III · At home 03

One rhino. Three keepers.
One welfare floor we don’t move.

Conservation that asks a guest to write a check has to start with the welfare of the ambassador in front of them. Blake is a six-year-old Southern White Rhino. He is in the care of a three-keeper team, on shift every encounter day. Choice-based participation is a non-negotiable.

Blake — Southern White Rhino

Care for one rhino, on a winery, runs upwards of $300K a year.

Blake was born at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas in August 2018, and was placed at Rhinory in 2019 through the AZA Species Survival Plan — the same cooperative breeding and population-management program that pulled the Southern White subspecies back from the brink. He is in the day-to-day care of three career rhino professionals — keepers who design his welfare protocols, his enrichment program, and his training. Marketing does not touch the operating procedures. The keepers do.

Below is what it actually costs to keep him thriving. About $200K of the $300K annual figure is covered by the conservation funds raised in 2024; the remainder is absorbed by tasting-room operations.

Annual care line · 2024 Upwards of $300K/yr
01 Keeper team & specialists 3 career rhino keepers · welfare-first protocols ~$102K
02 Habitat upkeep fencing · barn · pasture · seasonal repair ~$78K
03 Veterinary & nutrition vet rounds · supplements · diet design ~$54K
04 Feed & produce ~50 lbs of feed/day · seasonal browse ~$42K
05 Enrichment & training barrels · cube · scratchers · positive-reinforcement ~$24K
Choice-based welfare. Every rhino encounter on the property is initiated by Blake. He chooses to come to the fence; he chooses to leave. Guests follow the keeper team’s lead, not the other way around. This is the line we don’t move.
IV · In the field 04

The work that can’t happen on 55 acres.

Two organizations carry the bulk of our international donation. Both are field-vetted. Craig and David travelled to Care for Wild this year. We don’t fund what we haven’t seen.

Global · Five speciesGlobal · Five species
Partner 01 · since 2021 $80K · 2024

International Rhino Foundation

A global champion for all five rhino species — anti-poaching, habitat, community.

Rhinory’s $80,000 contribution in 2024 (matching included) was directed to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park — a haven for the critically endangered Sumatran rhino — and to Wildlife Protection Teams operating in the Leuser Ecosystem.

Way Kambas
Sumatran Rhino
Sanctuary support
Leuser
Anti-poaching
field equipment
38,000+
Native seedlings
planted, restored habitat
Multi-year partner · 4th cycle rhinos.org →
Partner 02 · since 2023 $50K · 2024

Care for Wild

“Save Rhinos. Save People. Save Tomorrow.” World’s largest orphaned-rhino sanctuary.

In 2024, Craig Stevens and Director of Wine David Bradbury travelled to South Africa to witness Care for Wild firsthand. Craig made an initial $25,000 donation and pledged $25,000 more. The 2024 Holiday Gift Guide closed the pledge — $50,000 for the year, in full.

Rescue
Orphaned & injured rhinos
poaching survivors
Rehab
Rewilding programs
return-to-the-wild
Hercules
White rhino calf
adopted via Rhinory
Field-visited 2024 · pledge fulfilled careforwild.co.za →
South Africa · SanctuarySouth Africa · Sanctuary
V · The Foundation 05

The vehicle that will outlive the winery.

In 2024 we launched Rhinory Foundation — a registered 501(c)(3) on its own domain — so the conservation engine is legally separate from, and survivable beyond, the business. Below is a summary; the Foundation runs its own site for grant applications, Gala tickets, and direct giving.

Est. 2024 · 501(c)(3)
Rhinory Foundation

Rhinory Foundation

3801 N Capital of Texas Hwy
Suite E240 #48 · Austin, TX 78746
Vision · Mission · Values rhinoryfoundation.org

Preserving a legacy.
Uncorking change.

“The power to change the world isn’t in one person, it’s in all of us.”

The Foundation’s mission: to ensure the long-term survival of endangered rhinos by supporting sustainable conservation efforts, empowering local communities, and fostering a global commitment to their protection — across all five rhino species, on its own site, with its own board, its own RFP program, and its own annual gala.

Visit rhinoryfoundation.org Donate (tax-deductible)
Value 01

Collaboration

Lasting change requires working together. Strong partnerships with organizations, communities, and individuals who share our commitment.

Value 02

Impact

Driven by results. Initiatives are prioritized when they have a measurable, positive effect on rhino populations and their habitats.

Value 03

Sustainability

Committed to long-term solutions — sustainable livelihoods, environmental stewardship, the responsible use of resources.

Value 04

Transparency

Open and honest communication. Accountable to donors and partners. Every dollar disclosed in the annual ledger.

What the Foundation runs

Three programs — live on rhinoryfoundation.org.

All programs →
Program 01 · Grants

Request for
Proposals

The Foundation’s grant-making program. Field organizations, research institutions, and ranger programs apply for funding across five focus areas — anti-poaching, habitat, community, research, orphanage support.

5 focus areas Apply →
Program 02 · Annual gala

The 2026
Foundation Gala

Saturday, October 17, 2026 · 6:30 PM, on the Rhinory property. Wine, food, live auction. 2026 proceeds split between IRF, Care for Wild, and Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Sponsorship tiers $1.5K–$10K.

Tickets $195 / guest
Program 03 · Collaboration

Wanda’s
Wee Zoo

A collection by Wanda Goldberg, created exclusively for Rhinory. Hand-framed wildlife portraits; proceeds split between Wanda’s animal-rescue work and Foundation-routed rhino conservation.

Exclusive Browse →
Where contributions land

Three pillars — funded by the winery, the Gala, and you.

Pillar 01 · Direct giving

Field
partnerships

Confirmed-in-writing donations routed to International Rhino Foundation and Care for Wild — selected for track record, transparent reporting, and willingness to host us in person.

2024 $130K direct
Pillar 02 · The Reserve

Welfare
at home

Blake’s habitat — keeper payroll, vet rounds, enrichment, the maternity barn breaking ground in 2025, and additional residents over time. The credibility floor.

2024 ~$200K applied
Pillar 03 · Education

35,000
conversations

Every tasting, every encounter, every Sip & Paint begins at the wine and ends at the field — rhino biology, threats, and the specific organizations doing the work.

2024 35K+ visitors

This page is a summary. The Foundation runs its own site — full board, the five-species library, RFP submission, Gala tickets, and the donate form all live there.

Visit rhinoryfoundation.org
VI · The 2024 ledger 06

The year, on one page.

A summary of where every dollar landed — partners, Blake, the new barn, the Foundation. The full 17-page report is one click away.

2024 Conservation Ledger Verified ✓

Where the $450,000+ went.

Five destinations, all serving the same mission. International conservation partners take the largest cuts; Blake’s care is the line that keeps the program credible; the rest is reinvested into the facility, new residents, and the Foundation.

Total raised, FY 2024 $ 450,000 +
IRF $80K
Care for Wild $50K
Blake’s care ~$200K
Expansion fund $80K
Foundation ops $40K
2024 Impact Report 2024 Impact Report
A year, on
the record.

The complete 17-page report — Annual Review, partnership letters, education programs, Blake’s care & expansion plan, member impact, looking ahead, and a list of 2024 corporate sponsors.

17 pages · 4.2 MB · PDF Spring 2025 · published
Download the Report The Foundation
VII · Your move 07

Four ways to fund the work.

Every dollar lands. Wine Club shipments, a single visit, a gift, or a direct contribution to the Foundation. All four are welcome; none asks you to pick a favorite cause.

Move 01 · Quarterly

Join the
Wine Club

Members fueled 78% of what we raised in 2024 — $350K from Wine Club shipments alone. Three tiers; conservation built into every bottle.

From ~$150 / shipment
Move 02 · In person

Book a
Rhino encounter

Pinnacle Rhino & Wine, Sip & Paint with Blake, or Goodnight Blake — keeper-led, choice-based, on the same 55 acres he lives on.

From $95 / guest
Move 03 · For someone else

Give a
conservation gift

Adopt-a-Rhino, Skin Painting (raised $16.5K since 2022), Legacy Brick, or a one-time bottle gift. 100% of merch & experience proceeds, net.

From $45 / gift
Move 04 · Tax-deductible

Donate to
the Foundation

Direct, tax-deductible giving via the 501(c)(3). Routed to International Rhino Foundation, Care for Wild, and on-property welfare. EIN on file.

501(c)(3) Any amount