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Thank you for reading these important updates. We appreciate your support as we educate, advocate and participate on behalf of wolves.
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: What good is it?"
Aldo Leopold
Thank you,
September 10, 2015
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Speak for Wolves Event
Huge Success!
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The National Wolfwatcher Coalition was a proud sponsor of the Speak for Wolves conference held last month in West Yellowstone, Montana. The 3 day event brought together advocates from across the country.
The festivities began with the screening of the film OR7-The Journey. Film maker Clemens Schenik and Amoroq Weiss, Center for Biological Diversity fielded questions from the audience. The documentary tells the story of a gray wolf, OR 7, collared in Oregon, dispersed to California, then returned to Oregon. For a small fee you can watch the movie online at watch the film online or see the trailer .
There was a long list of presenters, among them: Kim Wheeler who talked about Red Wolf Recovery; Oliver Starr detailing the plight of Denali wolves; Brian Ertz who explained the McKittrick Policy and Mike Mease who
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| | Wolfwatcher Table & Nancy Warren |
who presented a vision for bison recovery. The panel discussion, led by Camilla Fox of Project Coyote, highlighted the issues surrounding wildlife killing contests.
This event was a great opportunity to learn about issues but also network with others who advocate for wolves and other wildlife.
Special thanks to Brett Haverstick who organized Speak for Wolves and we look forward to next year's event.
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Wolfwatchers in Yellowstone
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Yellowstone National Park is a magically place, made more special because of the presence of wolves. There are about 400-450 wolves within the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem
and with about 100 wolves in the Park; it is one of the few places in the world were visitors can see wolves on a regular basis.
If you are considering a trip to Yellowstone, plan ahead. Summer is the busiest time of the year and while it is likely you will see bison and elk on the roads, you can also expect traffic backlogs created by the wildlife. You will encounter crowds at scenic overlooks and parking will be difficult near waterfalls, geysers and wolf sightings!
Wolfwatchers are in Yellowstone year-round and though there is no guarantee you will see a wolf, the odds are good if you are patient and are willing to forego sleep to be in the Park at sunrise.
A typical "wolfwatcher" day includes entering the park before day break and heading to a location where wolves had been seen the day before. Several websites / facebook pages report wolf sightings and recent kill sites. Depending on your success, you may stay a few hours or most of the day. There will be time during the afternoon to get some lunch or take in some sights. But, you will want to return for wolfwatching early evening, until dark.
Over the summer there have been regular sightings of the Lamar
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Lamar Valley "Wolfwatchers"
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Caynon wolves and the Wapiti Lake pack in the Hayden Valley. You will want to have a good set of binoculars. The more eyes searching, the better!
Although it is good to have your own spotting scope, wolfwatchers are always willing to let you take a peek through their scope!
While it is always exciting to see a wolf in Yellowstone, as a Wolfwatcher it is even more rewarding to share the experience with someone who has never seen a wild wolf.
Strangers have broken into applause when someone just couldn't find the wolf looking through the scope, finally saw it. Seeing a wolf for the first time is very emotional for many who break down in tears, jump up and down or hug the closest person to them.
 Expressions such as "Wow" "Cool" "Awesome" "Neat" are often heard. It makes getting up at 4:30 am all worth while.
If you have ever seen a wild wolf, we'd love to hear from you! Send us a few lines, along with a picture and share your experience with us info@wolfwatcher.org
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Wolf Genes
Charting Yellowstone Wolves
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An interactive accessible pedigree of Yellowstone wolves is coming soon. You will be able to find the heritage, bloodline, genealogy and descendants of individual wolves and their packs.
This new project covers the time span from reintroduction of wolves to the Yellowstone Ecosystem, 1995 to present. Included are Canadian and Montana parent packs with all known offspring. Photographs and biographies for individual wolves will be included.
Developing the genealogy is a massive online
project based on Dr. Jim Halfpenny's books, Charting Yellowstone Wolves and Discovering Yellowstone Wolves and with the help of information from the Yellowstone Wolf Project.
The project is in its infancy. A massive amount of data is being entered into the wolf tree and it will take time and effort to catch up to the present. As new pups are born, they will also be added to the tree.
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| | 1995 Yellowstone Reintroduction |
The effort can be followed at www.ancestry.com(no membership is needed). However, ancestry.com requires that every visitor have an invitation from the creators: Dr. Jim Halfpenny and Leo Leckie. Send an email with your name, mailing address to: chartingyellowstonewolves@gmail.com An invitation will then be returned to you so that you can follow the progress of developing this genealogy. It is open to all. |
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Advocating for Wolves
and other Wildlife
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 The Center for Biological Diversity compiled a comprehensive report on attacks against the Endangered Species Act. They identified at least 233 direct attacks on the Act since 1996, with the majority of attacks occurring within the past five years.
To date there have been more than 164 direct attacks targeting specific species or seeking to dismantle the Act itself. The current 114th Congress has dramatically increased its efforts to take away protections for species, and has set a record-breaking 66 attacks since January 2015.
Click to view the list of INTRODUCED BILLS all designed to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
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| | Advocate Ken Crupi, Wolfwatcher Nancy Warren Endangered Species Coalition Melissa Smith at office of Congressman Benishek |
It is critical that we continue to apply pressure to our members of Congress. Urge your US Representative and Senator to oppose any stand-alone legislation or riders to important budget bills that weaken the Endangered Species Act or delist species.
We cannot give up the fight for wolves and other wildlife! |
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For the Love of a Dog Named Jade
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| | Jade enjoying a rawhide after her return |
Following a head on crash, that injured her owners, Jade, escaped as park rangers attempted to free her from her damaged kennel.
It is nothing short of a miracle that she survived not only the accident but also the 42 days, that Jade roamed Yellowstone National Park, alone.
Jade endured storms that brought strong winds and hail, in a area where wolves, bison, elk and bears also roam. She avoided being struck by any one of thousands of cars that travel the roads on a daily basis during peak tourist season.
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Laura Gillice, Dave & Angie Sowers
Liala, Jade & Kat
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Jade is one tough dog. But, Kat Brekken is one tough lady, who never gave up looking for Jade. When she isn't working at her full-time job, Kat is busy serving on the National Wolfwatcher Coalition Board of Directors as the eco-education and tourism director in Yellowstone. She also volunteers her time as "tour guide" educating visitors about wolves leading them to areas were they are likely to see or hear wolves.
Kat helped organized a search team to look for Jade, spending all her spare time posting flyers, playing recordings of the owners and working with the rangers to setting up traps, using clothing from the owners. If there was a job to be done, Kat was there to do it.
After 42 days, Jade walked out of a field on her own and into the arms of her family. She was 8 miles from the crash site but only 1/4 mile from the gas station where the wrecked car sat for 3 weeks. Except for a cut lip and the loss of 15 lbs, she was in overall great condition.
Jade's family traveled several times from their home in Denver to Yellowstone to search for Jade. With expenses mounting, Wolfwatcher supporter, Sandy Monville, Ontonagon, Michigan jumped into action set up A Go Fund Me Page which to date has raised more than $2800 for the family. She also administered a Facebook page where volunteers and family were kept informed of sightings.
Howls to Kat, Sandy and other volunteer Wolfwatchers who helped in any way to find Jade. Jade is now home with her family, enjoying her celebrity status as the "miracle dog".
Although many volunteers were involved in the effort to bring Jade home, the family believes that without Kat's involvement, Jade may never have been found. Kat refused the reward money established when Jade went missing. And so, the $1000 reward fund will be paid to the National Wolfwatcher Coalition, in Kat' honor.
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We are an all volunteer organization dedicated to providing factual information about wolves through education and advocacy.
The National Wolfwatcher Coalition has no membership dues and we do not send out mailers asking for money. We exist because of the hundreds of hours donated by our volunteers, through your generous donations and through the sale of merchandise.
The 3rd week of October is set aside to celebrate Wolf Awareness Week. Events take place across the nation to educate and advocate for wolves. Help celebrate Wolf Awareness Week and support the National Wolfwatcher Coalition through the purchase of our shirts which are available in short / long sleeve / youth / hoodies.
CELEBRATE WOLF AWARENESS WEEK ONE (OR TWO) OF THESE SHIRTS!
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The last word in ignorance is the man who says of a plant or animal, What Good is it?Aldo Leopold |
Thanks to Federica Guidotti of Switzerland for donating her image, "We are Connected." Click to see other work by Frederica
Shirts will be available a limited time (til September 19th) to insure they arrive in time for Wolf Awareness Week.
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501(c)(3) nonprofit, all volunteer organization
Our mission:
We 'educate, advocate, and participate' for the long term recovery and preservation of wolves based on the best available science and the principles of democracy. We:
- Educate the public about the important role that wolves play in maintaining healthy ecosystems
- Inform the public about challenges to wolf recovery
- Support measures that promote peaceful coexistence with wolves on the landscape
- Educate the public about the issues in all regions and ways it can effectively participate in the democratic process to promote science-based decision-making about wolves.
All donations, no matter the amount, will be appreciated because they will enable us to:
- Provide educational programs, materials and events
- Participate in conferences, seminars, and consultation with other professionals in the fields of wolf biology, research, conservation, eco-tourism and environmental law.
- Secure a Wolfwatcher Legal Fund to sustain potential engagement in litigation that challenges local, state and/or federal policies that affect wolf preservation.
To donate online, please click on the Donate button at the top. To donate by check or money order, please send your donation to our business office at: National Wolfwatcher Coalition, PO Box 161281, Duluth, MN 55816-1281
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