Good News: At the Portland airport, find an alpaca to ease your flight anxiety | Why This Matters

Good News: At the Portland airport, find an alpaca to ease your flight anxiety | Why This Matters

Why this story matters: This piece offers a constructive counterpoint to the constant stream of negative news. Quick summary: This story highlights recent developments related to ease, showing how constructive action can lead to meaningful results. An estimated 40% of the general population has at least some fear of flying, with 2.5% harboring a clinical phobia of getting on an airplane. However, travelers’ stress keeps Beni the llama and Captain Jack the alpaca busy. The camel-adjacent cousins work at the Portland International Airport as part of the airport’s animal therapy program. Every few weeks, they venture from their full-time farm roles at Mountain Peaks Therapy to reduce stress levels in the busy airport. A llama and alpaca from the herd at PDX. Photo courtesy of Mountain Peaks Therapy Although still filled with the same bustling TSA checkpoints and chatty food courts, PDX has recently undergone a redesign that includes intentional ties to nature — Beni and Captain Jack among the…