The Wolves Are Back. . .

Last summer, my kids and I went with some friends to Mission Wolf. It is a wolf sanctuary nestled in the Wet Mountains. We arrived on feeding day and my boys got into the spirit of the activity. Kent Weber (in green), director of Mission Wolf, and his volunteers spent quite a bit of time educating us about wolves and their importance in the life cycle. All in all, it was a great adventure.

When we arrived, the volunteers were cutting up a recently donated animal for the wolves' lunch.

My boys feeding the wolves. . . it was quite a sight!

The wolves are kept in pens - very natural looking with lots of room to roam, rest and hide. . .

One of the ambassador wolves. . . Mission Wolf ( below) . . . Kent shared with us about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone. He shared how bringing back the wolves has brought many unexpected, positive changes. The streams have grown colder, because the grasses and trees are now growing along the stream bed due to the wolves pushing the elk and moose back up into the meadows. Several songbirds have returned to the grasses and branches of the trees. I was fascinated with how the wolves have brought balance back to the wilderness.

Last month, I received a book in the library: The Wolves are Back by Jean Craighead George (author of Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain). It is a beautifully illustrated tale of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone. This story teaches ecology and balance in nature. I read it to the fourth graders last week, and it fostered great discussion. . .