Without spending TOO much time on the fact that it was 5 degrees in the sun yesterday afternoon, we can simply say that the bald eagles, our last birds to come off exhibit, were brought in to their indoor mews with perfect timing. We won't even mention the low temperature last night. We look forward to returning birds to aviaries, with new space and possibly new birds on exhibit, next spring.

As you know, Leopold and Summit were introduced several weeks ago and have been doing very well together. Since these two were the Omegas in their former packs, their new pack has been named in honor of Granite, the very first Omega Male wolf to reside at the Center. Granite was the Omega Male of the Gallatin Pack, and was much loved by staff and visitors alike. He passed away in May of 2010 at 15 years of age. In his honor, Leopold and Summit have been named the Granite Pack.

A few weeks ago we got an email asking if we would give a glimpse of the animals' lives backstage so to speak. What happens when they're not on the habitat where everyone can see? It's a great question, and what better place than here to answer it? The bears, as you know, each have a den in the building behind the habitat. While the bears are out on the habitat, the keepers clean their dens and leave food and toys for them. Once the bears come back in and explore what's been left for them, they settle in to eat and play. Sow 101 is especially thorough, sifting through her straw one piece at a time with her claws, looking for any and all raisins, nuts and seeds. Her careful search can take most of the night! If you're looking for a special treat for her or any of the bears, or a Christmas for the Critters offering, SEEDS (pumpkin and sunflower) would make 101's day. And if you're looking for more behind the scenes stories and information, consider adopting your favorite animal or purchasing a membership or Behind the Scenes Tour.

 

Last week we saw many visitors at special Thanksgiving Week programs. This "Wild Winter" series featured all sorts of topics, including a session on dissecting owl pellets with a guest appearance by Acadia. West Yellowstone hosted around 4000 guests for the annual ski festival last week, and we welcomed many of them here at the Center. Thanks to all who attended!

We have school and university groups visiting and a couple of interesting film projects on the calendar, as well as the West Yellowstone After School program to enjoy as winter takes hold. Keep an eye out here for more information about upcoming classes and workshops.

If you're interested in visiting the GWDC with your family or with your students, or if you'd like to sponsor a Teaching Trunk or outreach program, let us know. One of the Center's naturalists can visit your school for special assemblies, programs or activities. As you know, some of our birds-of-prey can travel for such programs as can our large collection of wolf and bear artifacts. We are currently adding materials to our Teaching Trunks (Thanks Kelly!), and adding programs to our roster. We will customize the program or the Teaching Trunk for your group and areas of special interest.

We hope you enjoy this issue, learn a little something, and feel like you are here with us for just a few minutes. It's a pretty special place to be. Have a great couple of weeks and a fantastic winter, and we'll look forward to seeing you soon.

Thanks again for keeping up with us and for all you do.