We're back!

As many of you know, the Red Wolf Recovery Program, National Wildlife Refuges, and many, many other government agencies were closed for several weeks during October as part of the lapse in funding and subsequent government shutdown. We are very grateful to our partners and all the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP) sites for continuing to provide lots of good information and updates to our supporters. We know we missed a lot of opportunities to promote red wolf conservation and events, including Wolf Awareness Week 2013 (October 13-19).  We are still catching up from missed time, but we just wanted to thank everyone for their continued support!  

Fall is a busy time for the field and RWSSP staff.  Many of the captive wolves are receiving their annual physical examinations, and transfers are occurring throughout the sites in order to create new potential red wolf mating pairs for upcoming mating season.  These matches were discussed and finalized at the 2013 Annual Red Wolf SSP meeting this past July.   

Starting this week, the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival is hosting numerous events from October 22-27, 2013 in northeastern North Carolina including Red Wolf 101, a program offered by the Red Wolf Coalition at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Education and Healthcare Facility in Columbia, North Carolina, as well as a Red Wolf Howling Safari, occurring on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.  Both of these events are Wednesday, Oct. 23.  If you’re interested in participating, you can register and view the schedule online.   

We’re have more news soon including the RWSSP of the month, field updates, and news from the Red Wolf Research Implementation Team.  Stay tuned!

How/where do I see a red wolf?

Photo Credit: John Froschauer

We’ve been receiving lots of inquiries about where to see a red wolf.  The wild, reintroduced population in northeastern North Carolina occupies over 1.7 million acres of the Red Wolf Recovery Area, over 60% of which is on private land. This distribution, together with the elusive nature of red wolves, can make them difficult to see in the wild.  However, if you want to take your chances, there are three national wildlife refuges within the Red Wolf Recovery Area that are open to the public: Alligator River, Pocosin Lakes, and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuges.  Additionally, there is a small island population at St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Alligator River also offers regular howling safari programs throughout the summer on Wednesdays.  For more information on the howling events, visit our website.  

There are also numerous educational and recreational events offered by the Red Wolf Coalition at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Education and Healthcare Facility in Columbia, North Carolina. Programs like Talk Like a Red Wolf, Red Wolf 101, or Red Wolf Kids are great for families or small groups interested in an introduction to red wolves, their lives and their conservation. Please visit the Red Wolf Coalition’s Calendar of Events site to learn more about the various events and the dates/times they are scheduled, and to reserve seats for your family or group.

The best way to see a red wolf is to visiting one of the more than 40 zoos and nature centers participating in the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan.  These facilities play a significant role in red wolf recovery by informing visitors about the value of wolves in ecosystems, inspiring the public to support the wolf's reestablishment in the wild, and allowing people to see red wolves close up.  To find a Red Wolf Species Survival Plan facility near you, check out the map below:

Red Wolf Summer Activities

 Photo: USFWS

 

Looking for a fun summer activity?  The Red Wolf Recovery Program offers you the opportunity to learn more about red wolves at the only place in the world where they still exist in the wild! Summer howling events take place every Wednesday night through August at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at the designated time at the Creef Cut Wildlife Trail parking lot for a chance to hear the harmonious howl of this endangered species.

-No Registration Required
-Summer Howlings cost $7 per person (bring cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard).
-Children 12 and under are FREE!

For more details on what to bring and directions, please visit our website: Red Wolf Howling Events
Here’s a sample what you might hear: Red Wolf Howling recording

 Photo: B. Bartel/USFWS

There are also numerous educational and recreational events offered by the Red Wolf Coalition at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Education and Healthcare Facility in Columbia, North Carolina. Programs like Talk Like a Red Wolf, Red Wolf 101, or Red Wolf Kids are great for families or small groups interested in an introduction to red wolves, their lives and their conservation. 

Please visit the Red Wolf Coalition’s Calendar of Events site to learn more about the various events and the dates/times they are scheduled, and to reserve seats for your family or group. Please note that reservations are required for those wishing to attend an event. Finally, please be sure to check the Event Policies for important information about attendance at red wolf programs.

Red Wolf Healthcare and Education Facility update: pollinator garden and tours!

Back in September, some of the staff of the Red Wolf Recovery Program teamed with the Red Wolf Coalition to enhance the space at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Healthcare and Education Facility in Columbia, North Carolina. Last fall was an exciting time as the wolf enclosures were completed and the bleachers were installed.  To create additional habitat for other species and to provide educational opportunities on local ecosystems more generally, our assistant coordinator, Becky, designed a native pollinator garden. 

Why are pollinators important?  Pollinators are nearly as significant as sunlight, soil and water to the reproductive success of over 75% of the world's flowering plants. They are crucial to the production of most fruits, nuts and berries on which people and wildlife depend.  


If you're interested in planting a pollinator garden, but aren't sure what plant species are native to your area, you can use these guides.

With a lot of fundraising through the Red Wolf Coalition, and some manual labor from the Red Wolf Recovery Program’s biologists, Chris and Ford, and John of the Division of Migratory Birds, we installed a space for the plants and installed rain barrels and soaker hoses to allow the garden to be self-maintaining.  We were lucky enough to have some help planting too—Rebecca Harrell’s 8^th grade science classes at Columbia Middle School were great plant caretakers!  Together, we planted 85 plants, all native the southeast.

 Garden freshly mulched in October 2012.

Garden progress in May 2013.

Today, the garden is flourishing, including flowering tickseed, columbine, native sunflowers, blueberries, milkweeds, and many other species. While we did lose a handful of individual plants this winter, the majority of the plants are flowering and thriving.  Thank you to everyone who made this effort possible!

In other good news, beginning in June 2013, the Red Wolf Coalition will host a number of educational and recreational events at the Red Wolf Education and Healthcare Facility. These events are great for families or small groups interested in an introduction to red wolves, their lives and their conservation. 

Please visit the Red Wolf Coalition’s Calendar of Events site to learn more about the various events and the dates/times they are scheduled, and to reserve seats for your family or group. Please note that reservations are required for those wishing to attend an event. Finally, please be sure to check the Event Policies for important information about attendance at red wolf programs.

More photos will be posted on our Facebook page as plants bloom!

Red Wolf Summer Reading List

Over the next two months, there are some exciting new book and article releases on red wolf conservation and recovery.  We wanted to let you know about these upcoming resources now, so you can put them on your summer reading list.  We’ll post a reminder once things go to press as well!

We are very excited about the release of the new book, The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America’s Other Wolf by T. DeLene Beeland.  DeLene is a science and nature writer who resides in Asheville, North Carolina.  Her new book is highly anticipated by the wolf conservationist community, as there currently no comprehensive resource on red wolves for adult readers.  In her book, she describes the natural history of this often misunderstood predator, discusses the natural history of the species and the evolution of red wolf recovery efforts. Her narrative is very objective, as she shares the viewpoints of scientists, advocates, local landowners, and even our own program staff here at the Red Wolf Recovery Program. The book, published by University of North Carolina Press, is scheduled to be released in early June, but is also currently available for pre-order through Amazon.  You can read an excerpt of it on the author’s website here.

DeLene also started a new group, Friends of the Red Wolf, to further support the conservation and recovery of wild red wolves. The group directly collaborates directly with the Red Wolf Recovery Program to help them achieve recovery goals for the red wolf through scientific research and adaptive management practices. Friends of the Red Wolf is part of The WILD Foundation, under which it has 501(c)3 status.  This non-profit organization and status allows donors to deduct their charitable contributions—so your donations will directly contribute to red wolf conservation.  These contributions will help purchase field supplies including VHF telemetry collars and help pay for veterinary services.  Check out their blog or Facebook page for more information!

Another book we’re really looking forward to is the graphic novel, Return of the Red Wolf. This educational project is a fantastic collaboration between the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Education Advisor, Craig Standridge, and Washington artist, Beth Graham.  The novel is narrated by Graham, a red wolf at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and aims to tell students about red wolf natural history, the recovery process, and how everyone can get involved in red wolf conservation.  While the novel is targeted towards 7^th graders, we have no doubt all ages will enjoy this read and appreciate the colorful, incredible artwork. 

This innovate education project was funded by the Point Defiance Zoological Society and the Tacoma Artists Initiative Program and will be published by Point Defiance Zoological Society and made available for order on Amazon.com.  All sales collected will go towards red wolf conservation efforts at two organizations: the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Committee Fund (money that will be used to find grants that will benefit red wolves), and the Friends of the Red Wolf, ensuring that the novel sales will benefit both the wild and zoo-based red wolf populations.

Lastly, the summer 2013 issue of International Wolf magazine will be published for release soon!  We’re really looking forward to this issue as it will feature an interview of our Red Wolf Recovery Program Coordinator, David, by Neil Hutt.  Neil is a writer and educator, as well as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Red Wolf Coalition, a partner and frequent collaborator.  The article about red wolf recovery is accompanied by photos by our Assistant Coordinator, Becky.  In this issue, Neil also reviews Delene’s book, The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America’s Other Wolf.  Lots of good red wolf readings!