Event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Ely
Contact:
Chad Richardson, communications director
International Wolf Center
Office: 763-560-7374, ext. 2250
chad@wolf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The grand opening for the exciting new exhibit at the International Wolf Center is set from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 28, in Ely. The event is free, and the public is invited to come experience the immersive exhibit, titled Discover Wolves!. After a brief welcoming ceremony, the Center’s doors will open to the family-friendly adventure that features wolf howls, northern lights and a simulated airplane ride.
“As the first visitors explored exhibit, it was thrilling to see the smiles on their face,” said Krista Harrington, the interpretive center manager. “The new exhibit brings a creative spark to an educational adventure in the world of the wolf.”
Discover Wolves! was funded in part with a grant from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, plus a major commitment from the board of directors at the Center and its donors.
“Planning for the project started four years ago, so to see the wolf den, the science lab and artifacts in place was a magical experience,” said the board’s Chairperson, Nancy jo Tubbs. “It’s more fun than I could have imagined.”
A stunning photo mural leads visitors down a ramp and into the new exhibit space. The mosaic, which looks from afar like a wolf resting, is made up of thousands of small images. The closer one gets, the less like a wolf the mural looks, as individual images reveal themselves. Once you step back, those individual images fade and the bigger picture of the wolf is again visible.
Just inside the new exhibit hall, a wolf den is built into a rocky cave. Visitors are able to step up to the den and look inside to see video footage of real wolves in a real den.
In another display, the distance covered by a wolf on a given day is highlighted on a map of the northern United States. The distance, 30 miles, is but a small track across the vast north country. That illuminated track grows considerably when visitors press the second button, showing how far a wolf can travel in a month (600 miles). The third and final track shows what 3,000 miles looks like on a map of North America—the distance wolves can travel in a year. The display also notes wolves sometimes travel much farther, up to 8,000 miles a year, if prey is scarce.
Nearby, a simulated airplane gives visitors a chance to see how researchers track wolves from the air. Once a guest takes a seat in the cockpit and pushes a button, the adventure begins. Four screens encircle the guest, making it appear as though he or she is in the cockpit of a small airplane. The plan takes off from an ice-covered lake in Ely with Shannon Barber-Meyer riding in the front seat next to the pilot. Barber-Meyer, a wolf biologist with the United States Geological Survey, explains how she uses radio telemetry to track wolves in the wild. Near the end of the adventure, Barber-Meyer and the visitor successfully find the wild pack.
Historic artifacts aim to show how important wolves were to various cultures over time. Included in the display is a stunning hand-beaded mask in the shape of a wolf’s head. The mask was donated to the Center’s founder, Dr. L. David Mech, who in turn donated it to the Center for display.
As visitors leave the exhibit, they’re encouraged to take a quick 10-question quiz about wolves to see how much they learned from the discovery adventure.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.
‘Don’t fear, but respect the wolf,’ says Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation
From Gazette.com:
Like many people, Rosemary Scott grew up believing the wolf is a bloodthirsty man-eater that kills on sight.
Having been raised in the country where farmers sought to eradicate the wolf for destroying crops added to the controversy. Attending educational seminars and interacting with live wolves convinced the area resident she was wrong about these creatures whom she now calls, “The most misunderstood animal in the world.”
Click here for the full story.
Wisconsin DNR: Addressing the ‘wolf’ in the room
From WisFarmer.com:
Wisconsin DNR reports that the wolf population has grown from 14 wolves in 1985 to more than 900 in 2018. This remarkable comeback is due in part to education, legal protection and habitat protection efforts through the DNR. This is an exceptional success story of many stakeholders working together on a collaborative effort.
Click here for the full story.
Wolves are making a comeback. Here’s where to see them
From National Geographic:
You might say that National Geographic Explorer Doug Smith is obsessed with wolves. After all, he’s spent his entire career studying them. A wildlife biologist, he leads the Wolf Restoration project in Yellowstone National Park, trekking on foot, riding horseback, and leaping from helicopters to research and protect these native canines.
Click here for the full story.
Fence fundraiser latest attempt to stop Rogue Pack
From the Ashland Tidings in Oregon:
Good fences make good neighbors, as the saying goes, but for a local cattle rancher, a fence may be the last hope.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to build a tall, strong fence around the property of cattle rancher Ted Birdseye in the latest attempt to keep OR-7 and his Rogue Pack of gray wolves from devouring any more of his cattle — and also to protect the wolves.
Click here for the full story.
Idaho GOP considers ‘wolf hunter sanctuary state’ proposal
From The Lewiston Tribune:
Idaho GOP officials will consider a proposal to designate Idaho a “wolf hunter sanctuary state” during their summer meeting in Boise today.
The two-day convention, which began Friday, gives party members from across the state an opportunity to mingle and meet with elected officials. It’s also a chance to take positions on various topics of interest and tweak party procedures.
Click here for the full story.
Protected: 2021 Wolf Pup Cams
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Grand opening for new International Wolf Center exhibit is Friday, June 28
Event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Ely
Contact:
Chad Richardson, communications director
International Wolf Center
Office: 763-560-7374, ext. 2250
chad@wolf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The grand opening for the exciting new exhibit at the International Wolf Center is set from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 28, in Ely. The event is free, and the public is invited to come experience the immersive exhibit, titled Discover Wolves!. After a brief welcoming ceremony, the Center’s doors will open to the family-friendly adventure that features wolf howls, northern lights and a simulated airplane ride.
“As the first visitors explored exhibit, it was thrilling to see the smiles on their face,” said Krista Harrington, the interpretive center manager. “The new exhibit brings a creative spark to an educational adventure in the world of the wolf.”
Discover Wolves! was funded in part with a grant from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, plus a major commitment from the board of directors at the Center and its donors.
“Planning for the project started four years ago, so to see the wolf den, the science lab and artifacts in place was a magical experience,” said the board’s Chairperson, Nancy jo Tubbs. “It’s more fun than I could have imagined.”
A stunning photo mural leads visitors down a ramp and into the new exhibit space. The mosaic, which looks from afar like a wolf resting, is made up of thousands of small images. The closer one gets, the less like a wolf the mural looks, as individual images reveal themselves. Once you step back, those individual images fade and the bigger picture of the wolf is again visible.
Just inside the new exhibit hall, a wolf den is built into a rocky cave. Visitors are able to step up to the den and look inside to see video footage of real wolves in a real den.
In another display, the distance covered by a wolf on a given day is highlighted on a map of the northern United States. The distance, 30 miles, is but a small track across the vast north country. That illuminated track grows considerably when visitors press the second button, showing how far a wolf can travel in a month (600 miles). The third and final track shows what 3,000 miles looks like on a map of North America—the distance wolves can travel in a year. The display also notes wolves sometimes travel much farther, up to 8,000 miles a year, if prey is scarce.
Nearby, a simulated airplane gives visitors a chance to see how researchers track wolves from the air. Once a guest takes a seat in the cockpit and pushes a button, the adventure begins. Four screens encircle the guest, making it appear as though he or she is in the cockpit of a small airplane. The plan takes off from an ice-covered lake in Ely with Shannon Barber-Meyer riding in the front seat next to the pilot. Barber-Meyer, a wolf biologist with the United States Geological Survey, explains how she uses radio telemetry to track wolves in the wild. Near the end of the adventure, Barber-Meyer and the visitor successfully find the wild pack.
Historic artifacts aim to show how important wolves were to various cultures over time. Included in the display is a stunning hand-beaded mask in the shape of a wolf’s head. The mask was donated to the Center’s founder, Dr. L. David Mech, who in turn donated it to the Center for display.
As visitors leave the exhibit, they’re encouraged to take a quick 10-question quiz about wolves to see how much they learned from the discovery adventure.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.
Richardson named International Wolf Center’s new administrator
Hastings resident named to new role while the Center searches for its new executive director
Contact:
Chad Richardson, communications director
International Wolf Center
Office: 763-560-7374, ext. 225
chad@wolf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The International Wolf Center’s board of directors voted recently to name Chad Richardson the organization’s administrator while it searches for a new executive director.
Richardson came to the Center two years ago as its communications director.
“Since Chad started at the Center, he’s shown us he can be counted on and that he cares about sustaining strong relationships with the community and with staff and board members,” said Nancy jo Tubbs, chairperson of the Center’s board of directors. “Chad has exceeded our expectations as our communications manager. We’re certain he will guide us smoothly through the next several months in both roles.”
Richardson works primarily out of the organization’s administrative office in Brooklyn Park. He’s also frequently at the interpretive center in Ely.
“I am both humbled and honored to be given this amazing opportunity and this daunting responsibility,” Richardson said. “I know this summer and fall will be truly challenging, but with the great group of co-workers and volunteers that I’ve inherited, I know we will get the job done.”
Prior to joining the staff at the Center, he was the news director for nine newspapers in the southeast Twin Cities and western Wisconsin.
Richardson lives in Hastings with his wife, Lisandra, and two children, Gabriel and Luciana. He is a native of Aberdeen, S.D., and a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead.
The Center’s executive director, Rob Schultz, resigned in May. A nationwide search for his replacement is underway.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.
National Parks Study Wolf Deaths As Agency Plans Delisting Endangered Species
From Montana Public Radio:
Federal wildlife managers are gearing up to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List. But some environmentalists say the species isn’t ready and that the government is basing its decision on outdated science. A group of biologists in four western national parks are looking at the impacts of wolf deaths on their packs and how this could affect the greater population.
Click here for the full story.
Colorado voters could get final say in the war over wolves
From the Vail Daily:
After 40 years of battling to restore wolf populations in the Southwest, Northern Rockies and Great Lakes states, the legal, political and biological war for wolves is coming to Colorado.
But this time it could be voters — not federal and state wildlife managers — pushing the only state in the Rocky Mountains without wolves to welcome the roaming predators.
Click here for the full story.