Special event on wolves—May 24 in Ely

For immediate release

Contact: Grant Spickelmier, executive director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 763-233-7132

Special event on wolves is May 24 in Ely

International Wolf Center plans unique presentation to commemorate its 30 years in Ely

A special event is planned in Ely to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the grand opening of the International Wolf Center. The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, at the State Theater in Ely.

After an introduction by the Center’s Executive Director, Grant Spickelmier, a reporter and photographer from the Star Tribune will share findings and information from a key series they worked on together in 2022 called State of Wolves. The work by Greg Stanley and Anthony Souffle was published by the Star Tribune as a special section and shared information about the natural and cultural history of wolves in Minnesota. Following their presentation, they’ll be joined on stage by the Center’s founder, Dr. L. David Mech, who will discuss his research in northern Minnesota and how that work led to the creation of the International Wolf Center.

“We’re so excited to have this great program in Ely,” Spickelmier said. “I’ve seen the presentation from Anthony and Greg and it really highlights the special place that wolves occupy in Minnesota and Ely and the unique group of people that work with and study them. The story of how the International Wolf Center came to be, which Dave will talk about, is a fascinating one. Together, the two presentations will be both interesting and informative. We really hope we can fill the theater for this special event.”

The event is free, but pre-registration is required and seating is limited.

To register, visit bit.ly/stateofwolves.

The International Wolf Center was founded in 1985, and its interpretive center opened in Ely in 1993. Nearly 40,000 people per year visit the Center. In April 2017, the Center celebrated its one millionth visitor.

“During these 30 great years, we’ve welcomed people from all over the world into the Center,” said Interpretive Center Director Krista Woerheide. “We’re proud to be located in Ely and look forward to attracting even more visitors in the years to come.”