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 7th
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.
