As our newsletters are a benefit for California Wolf Center Members, below are excerpts from three of our recent editions

Spring 2006

Wolf Recovery 25 Years

In our last newsletter you learned about the many significant changes that have taken place at the California Wolf Center since our formation over 25 years ago.  But just as significantly, in the short time period since our last newsletter, two dramatic changes have occurred regarding the status of wild wolves in our western states.  Some of these changes will determine whether and when wolves will return to other western states including California. 

First, on January 5th of this year, the US government handed over full management control of wolves in Idaho to the state’s wildlife agency, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  Recently Idaho took advantage of its new power and flexed its management muscle when it petitioned the federal government to allow the lethal control of wolves to boost elk herd numbers in one portion of the recovery area.  Such a management action would have been unheard of just a few years ago.  And, Idaho’s proposal has been severely criticized by scientists who were asked to review it.

Second, in early February, the US Fish & Wildlife Service announced plans to de-list gray wolves from the endangered species list in the Northern Rockies.  The announcement was an advance notice for a future delisting proposal at an undetermined time.  With this “pre-proposal,” the federal government has indicated that it wants to draw a wide circle around the Rocky Mountain wolf population, including Montana, Wyoming and Idaho plus the eastern third of Washington and Oregon and a small part of north-central Utah.  This encircled area would be designated a "distinct population segment" where federal protections would be removed from the wolf, and wolf management authority would be passed to states and American Indian tribes...

Volunteer of the Year 2005

Pam Howard (featured in our newsletter (Autumn, 2005) had the honor of being selected as California Wolf Center’s Volunteer of the Year 2005.  Pam has been volunteering with the Center for a year and a half, and is a fantastic addition to our staff.  As the Membership Coordinator for the Wolf Center, she processes all of our new and renewing members.  She spends each Saturday processing donations and memberships, and even brings lunch for the other volunteers!  The California Wolf Center is lucky to have her.  Thank you, Pam Howard, for all that you do.

Autumn 2005

California Wolf Center Celebrates 25 Years of Conservation and Education

The California Wolf Center, located in the mountains of San Diego County, is celebrating 25 years of environmental conservation and education.  The Wolf Center’s first education program was 25 years ago, presented by founders Paul and Judith Kenis of San Diego.  The original mission of the Center (first known as the Julian Center for Science and Education), was to provide education programs, research opportunities and breeding facilities for endangered wild canids.  Patrick Valentino, the Center’s Executive Director believes this anniversary marks a new beginning. “We are truly proud of what we have accomplished here in San Diego County over the past quarter century.  We have presented so many education programs and with our involvement in Mexican gray wolf recovery we are making a direct contribution to bringing back an endangered species.”  Valentino shares that the Center is really at the beginning of what should be a long history of wildlife conservation, both nationally and locally.  “The next big question in wolf recovery is how far west wolves will be allowed to recover.  For areas with wolves how will they be managed?  And here in San Diego how will we deal with local predator issues (relating to coyotes and mountain lions) as human habitat expands.”  The Center plans to add a few coyotes to its education programs to highlight local issues relating to predator/human conflicts.  The coyotes will likely be rescued animals and will help visitors understand the difference between the local coyote and the gray wolf. 

Research

Although we are best known for our educational and conservation programs the California Wolf Center annually contributes to cutting-edge wolf research. We helped fund the 2005 Winter Wolf Predation Study, directed by Dr. Doug Smith through a donation to the Yellowstone Foundation. We also awarded a grant to our former volunteer Laura Kelly so that she could participate in the study. The study’s purpose was to document wolf predation patterns, the characteristics of their prey, movements, behavior, and interactions with different species and among packs.

Spring 2004

New name and a growing center. This month we have officially changed our name to the "California Wolf Center." Our Mexican wolf efforts will go under the name "Southwest Wolf Project," reflecting that Mexican wolves are from the United States and Mexico. We decided to change our name to the California Wolf Center because it reflects the broader scope of our purpose. Wolves may make their way to Northern California anytime in the next year or two. This is incredible news and will affect how Californians view wolves. (The name "California Wolf Center" will be a fictitious business name with the official corporate name of the non-profit remaining; Julian Center for Science and Education) See article below.

A Brand New Enclosure for Breeding Pair of Mexican Wolves: Led by James McCoy, and all volunteer crew has completed a new 3/4 acre enclosure for the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan. 55 volunteers have dedicated over 2000 hours to complete this fantastic wolf enclosure.

Breeding Pair of Mexican Wolves Assigned to California Wolf Center. The Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan has decided to send two more Mexican Gray wolves to the Center. Female, #173 will be paired with Male, #536 ("Prietito") in the new enclosure. This pair will remain together for breeding, with the hopes of pups in April, 2000! The two wolves will arrive at the Center later this Fall bringing the total Mexican Gray Wolves at the Center to 6. (Note: there only 215 wolves in the entire Mexican Wolf world population).

California Wolf Center and Defenders of Wildlife partners on California Wolf Education. Defenders of Wildlife, a national non-profit organization (over 300,000 members) is teaming up with the California Wolf Center to sponsor a traveling Wolf Education Booth. Nancy Weiss, Special Projects Leader for the California Wolf Center, has been hired by Defenders as the California Wolf Outreach Coordinator.

Mexican Wolves are Back in the Blue....Again!

Into the second year of the recovery program, there are about 22 free ranging Mexican Gray Wolves in five family groups in the Apache National Forest. This year's focus was to release bonded pairs with the hopes of wild pup production. One wild pack did produce pups, with the others producing pups in pre-release pens or conditioning pens. Last year, in March, 1998, 11 wolves were released in five family groups. Five wolves were shot illegally and two were missing. Two were returned to captivity leaving only two male free ranging wolves at the end of last year.

"The key to the success of this effort is the survival of wild-born wolf pups, and management actions in the field will be driven by that objective," said David Parsons, Mexican Wolf Recovery Leader for the Service. "I'm expecting great progress this year in our efforts to reintroduce this ecologically important species to the Apache and Gila National Forests."

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