For immediate release
Contact: Krista Woerheide
Email: krista@wolf.org
Phone: (218) 504-5173
Lucas Paschal will work with Voyageurs Wolf Project upon graduation from college
The winner of the 2023 Dr. L. David Mech Fellowship is Lucas Paschal, a student at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. The fellowship, awarded by the International Wolf Center, comes with up to $10,000 in funding to be used to further research about wolves.
Paschal will be partnering with the Voyageurs Wolf Project in northern Minnesota.
Dr. Mech founded the International Wolf Center in 1985 and is one of the world’s pre-eminent wildlife biologists. The fellowships are a way to honor Dr. Mech’s legacy and help the next generation of wildlife biologists get started in their careers.
Paschal learned he was the winner in late March during a phone call with Krista Woerheide, the Interpretive Center Director at the International Wolf Center.
“I was ecstatic to hear the news,” he said. “Thankfully I was with close friends at the time and was able to share my excitement with them.”
Woerheide said Paschal was chosen in part because of his clear passion for wildlife.
“Lucas really stood out in his application and letter of support because his passion for science and ecology was easy to see,” she said. “We can’t wait to see the results of his work with the Voyageurs Wolf Project, and we’re honored to play a part in getting his career started.”
Paschal said he has long had an interest in learning more about predators.
“This fellowship will help me reach my dream of studying large predators,” he said. “I think it’s hard to deny that large predators are very charismatic creatures, especially wolves. These animals demand a lot of attention from the public eye, and it seems like most of it is negative. I want to work with these animals to do as much as I can to protect them.
This is the second year that the fellowship has been awarded. Winners in 2022 were Lily Heinzel from Cornell College in Iowa and Cameron Ho from the University of Washington. The International Wolf Center offers the fellowship because it believes that continued investment in scientific discovery about wolves and other wildlife will lead to increased understanding of how to build a future where wolves and humans can coexist and thrive. The Center also understands that many barriers exist for students and early career researchers and hope these fellowships can be useful tools for opening up access to people pursuing a wildlife biology career.
“We’re really excited to see the partnership develop between Lucas and Voyageurs Wolf Project,” said the Center’s Executive Director, Grant Spickelmier. “It’s important to point out that these fellowships are funded by donations from our members, and we thank them for their financial support.”
Paschal is a senior at Hamline and will graduate this spring with three majors – Biology, Environmental Studies and History.
He will receive a $6,000 stipend and up to $4,000 in support for field research expenses.
His hometown is Macon, Georgia, and he’s a 2018 graduate of Veterans High School in Kathleen, Georgia. His parents are Roderick and Michele Paschal.
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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.
Washington’s wolf population continues to grow with 8 new packs in 2022
From komonews.com:
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A wolf pack in Washington recolonized the south Cascades for the first time this winter as the state’s wolf population continues to grow.
On Friday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) released its 2022 annual Washington Gray Wolf Conservation and Management report. The report found a 5% increase in wolf population growth from the previous count in 2021. The WDFW said it is the 14th consecutive year that the state’s wolf population has grown.
Click here for the full story.
Gray wolves caught on camera in Tehama County
From actionnewsnow.com:
TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. – A pack of wolves was caught on camera in Tehama County last week.
Brian Baty shared photos from his trail camera on private property on March 27 around 6 a.m.
Click here for full story.
A booming population of feral dogs becoming major threat to wolves in Pune district
From hindustantimes.com:
Increasing stray dog population in Pune district is threatening the ancient Indian wolf species. The wolf population is decreasing from their natural habitat due to fights and transmission of infectious diseases like rabies. The Grassland trust is working on a project for wolf conservation, and the forest department is taking measures like dog testing and awareness programmes to protect the wolf population.
Click here for the full story.
Wolf depredation: Utah wants Colorado to pay for future losses
From 9news.com
Colorado received thousands of public comments about its wolf management plan. Only one came from another state government: Utah.
Thursday, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meets to put final touches on its wolf management plan.
The state has to reintroduce wolves by the end of this year, because that’s what voters decided in 2020.
Before the plan is finalized, CPW has to review thousands of public comments.
Click here for the full story.
Wolf killing and the consequences of disturbing pack dynamics
From Wyofile.com
New research shows killing wolves changes pack dynamics, and those changes matter.
The last few years have been tough for gray wolves. Idaho passed a law to kill up to 90% of the state’s wolves. Montana killed 270 in one season. Wisconsin killed about 220 before the species went back on the Endangered Species List. Some 25 wolves killed in the Yellowstone National Park area in 2022 came from the park itself.
Click here for the full story.
Did A Hunter Shoot A Wolf In New York?!
From Bittel Me This:
One DNA test said ‘coyote’, while another said ‘wolf’. An expert explains what the heck is going on here.
Click here for the full video.
Wolf population growing with packs and pairs
From NBCRightnow.com
The wolf population showed a five percent increase compared to 2021’s count. The study also found Washington’s first recolonized wolf pack in the south Cascades.
The study is the 14th in a row to show an increase.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Tribes found 37 packs of 216 wolves throughout the state. Breeding pairs increase by seven to now have 26 successful pairs. The last study showed 206 total wolves among 33 packs and 19 breeding pairs.
Click here for the full story.
Wolf reintroduction in Colorado faces potential delays as plan nears final vote
From Axios Denver:
The controversial plan to reintroduce wolves in Colorado this year is encountering new obstacles, even as state wildlife officials took action Thursday to finalize their plan.
Why it matters: The timeline for when to release 50 wolves on the Western Slope — as approved by voters in the 2020 election — is as debated as how officials will do it.
Click here for the full story.
2023 winner of Dr. L. David Mech Fellowship announced
Contact: Krista Woerheide
Email: krista@wolf.org
Phone: (218) 504-5173
Lucas Paschal will work with Voyageurs Wolf Project upon graduation from college
The winner of the 2023 Dr. L. David Mech Fellowship is Lucas Paschal, a student at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. The fellowship, awarded by the International Wolf Center, comes with up to $10,000 in funding to be used to further research about wolves.
Paschal will be partnering with the Voyageurs Wolf Project in northern Minnesota.
Dr. Mech founded the International Wolf Center in 1985 and is one of the world’s pre-eminent wildlife biologists. The fellowships are a way to honor Dr. Mech’s legacy and help the next generation of wildlife biologists get started in their careers.
Paschal learned he was the winner in late March during a phone call with Krista Woerheide, the Interpretive Center Director at the International Wolf Center.
“I was ecstatic to hear the news,” he said. “Thankfully I was with close friends at the time and was able to share my excitement with them.”
Woerheide said Paschal was chosen in part because of his clear passion for wildlife.
“Lucas really stood out in his application and letter of support because his passion for science and ecology was easy to see,” she said. “We can’t wait to see the results of his work with the Voyageurs Wolf Project, and we’re honored to play a part in getting his career started.”
Paschal said he has long had an interest in learning more about predators.
“This fellowship will help me reach my dream of studying large predators,” he said. “I think it’s hard to deny that large predators are very charismatic creatures, especially wolves. These animals demand a lot of attention from the public eye, and it seems like most of it is negative. I want to work with these animals to do as much as I can to protect them.
This is the second year that the fellowship has been awarded. Winners in 2022 were Lily Heinzel from Cornell College in Iowa and Cameron Ho from the University of Washington. The International Wolf Center offers the fellowship because it believes that continued investment in scientific discovery about wolves and other wildlife will lead to increased understanding of how to build a future where wolves and humans can coexist and thrive. The Center also understands that many barriers exist for students and early career researchers and hope these fellowships can be useful tools for opening up access to people pursuing a wildlife biology career.
“We’re really excited to see the partnership develop between Lucas and Voyageurs Wolf Project,” said the Center’s Executive Director, Grant Spickelmier. “It’s important to point out that these fellowships are funded by donations from our members, and we thank them for their financial support.”
Paschal is a senior at Hamline and will graduate this spring with three majors – Biology, Environmental Studies and History.
He will receive a $6,000 stipend and up to $4,000 in support for field research expenses.
His hometown is Macon, Georgia, and he’s a 2018 graduate of Veterans High School in Kathleen, Georgia. His parents are Roderick and Michele Paschal.
##
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.
Coyotes don’t resemble wolves enough to be protected, wildlife service says
From kunm.org:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that coyotes will not be listed as endangered due to looking similar to the endangered Mexican wolf.
Conservation groups in December filed a petition to protect coyotes within the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area. They argued wolves are killed at “high levels” when mistaken for the more common canine, though were unable to cite how often.
Click here for the full story.