Happy Holidays!
December 2012
Dear Friend of the Wolf,
Thank you for your generous support this last year. Your commitment to wolves and wolf recovery is essential to our work to restore the magnificent Mexican gray wolf to the Grand Canyon region!
This year has been a busy and exciting year for the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. We hosted our first Paseo del Lobo (Path of the Wolf) relay hike and bike to raise awareness about Mexican gray wolves and the natural path of dispersal from the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area to the Grand Canyon region. We began our journey in Alpine, Arizona in July and with the help of over 100 volunteers, we traveled 400 miles of forested trail and suitable wolf habitat to finish at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in October.
The experience of walking the landscape that a few Mexican wolves have journeyed and that future wolves might soon be allowed to travel was amazing. We camped out at night under the shooting stars, found wolf tracks, walked up on bedded down herds of elk, watched a coyote hunting for rodents in a meadow, heard frogs calling in the Monsoon rains, saw Osprey fishing in high elevation lakes, and hunkered down in our shelters during intense thunderstorms. We witnessed and recognized the life cycles of plants, animals, natural disturbances and human-created disturbances to this region where wolves once roamed, and where we hope to have them roaming and howling once again. We also gathered together as wolf supporters to share stories, talk about wolf recovery, and be rejuvenated by our re-enactment of a wolf's dispersal. But perhaps most importantly, we re-ignited out commitment to Mexican wolves and their recovery in the Grand Canyon region. Photos of our journey are posted on the "Follow the Trail" page at the top of our website: www.gcwolfrecovery.org/trail.
I enjoyed my summer internship with Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, and learned a lot about working with a non-profit organization. I found that there is quite a bit of work involved, but that the work is often very rewarding. Helping with the Paseo del Lobo game me valuable experience with organizing groups of volunteers, educating them in the importance of wolf recovery, and exploring the natural habitat of the Mexican gray wolf. I was able to meet interesting people and gain indispensable knowledge in conservation efforts. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to work with Emily and the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project.
Jacquie Davis, Northern Arizona University student in Environmental Studies
Our ongoing education, outreach, and advocacy are helping to group community understanding, respect, and support for wolves in the Grand Canyon region each year. We hope you will join us for the Paseo del Lobo II in 2013 and our other outreach events throughout the year. Supporting the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project with your end-of-year contribution will allow us to take full advantage of current opportunities to ensure wolf recovery throughout the region. Thank you for supporting our crucial work to protect endangered wolves and to bring them home to their historic range.
For the wolves,
Emily Nelson, Program Director
P.S. Your gift today will help ensure the future of wolves in the Southwest. Thank you!
