International Wolf Center
Teaching the World About Wolves
Wild Kids!
Educators
Basic Wolf Information
Wolves of the World

NEWS & EVENTS

International Wolf Magazine



Archives

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

Fall International Wolf     

Now you can read sections of International Wolf exactly as they appear in our printed magazine. Click on the featured links below to view PDF files of the stories.

Note you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files. Download it free here.

 

Why This Special Issue on Education?

Welcome to this special wolf-education issue of International Wolf. As you open our pages, we open our thoughts to you about educating people about wolves. With wolves recovering in key areas of the United States and Europe, wolf education becomes increasingly important.





We're Not in Kansas Anymore: The Rapidly Changing World of Wolf Education

When the Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973, gray and red wolves were among the most prominent species listed. Managers planning ways to restore wolf populations recognized that success would depend on educating people about wolves. Wolves could never be restored if people continued to fear, hate and kill them as they long had.


At the Crossroads: Toward a New Era in Wolf Education

A few years ago, I attended a wolf seminar in Yellowstone during which I witnessed a revealing exchange. In a talk on wolf management, the instructor explained that it is often necessary to kill individual wolves in order to conserve wolf populations. Afterward, a student asked, "How can we justify the intentional infliction of suffering and death on a sentient animal for any reason?"


Departments

Wolf Education in Action

    Hunter Outreach: Face to Face Education

    Every November, as if Muslims making a pilgrimage to Mecca, hundreds of thousands of hunters take to the north country of Michigan and Wisconsin to participate in the generations-old tradition of white-tailed deer hunting. During this popular season, these states have experienced rises in wolf shootings.

    Can Attitudes Toward Wolves Change from Fear to Curiosity? Experiences from an Educational Program in Norway

    After decades of absence, wolves returned to the Stor- Elvdal municipality in southern Norway in the late 1990s, and their presence led to serious controversy. People asked questions about the chances of a wolf attacking children. Was it dangerous to walk in the forest, ski in wolf areas or pick berries?

    Education Goes Both Ways with Wolf Depredations

    Wolf depredations on livestock are emotional events that require thorough investigation and good communication. It takes only one phone call by an unhappy rancher for a depredation to turn political and be accompanied by a media circus.

    Can Ecotourism Improve Wolf-Human Coexistence?

    During the past decade many people have become aware that the way we travel often destroys the reason why we travel. In many places the natural world has been damaged by an overabundance of visitors; local traditions and cultures have been converted into visitor attractions; and rich tourists display their latest-model cameras, clothing and mobile phones in often poor local communities.

    Wolves in Print Media: Information or Misinformation?

    Many Americans use the popular media as their primary source of information about wolves. Unfortunately, what they get is often misinformation. Printed media such as national sportsmen's and livestock growers' publications and local newspapers in wolf country often spout what I call "barstool biology" to support their declarations and proposals against wolves and their recovery in the northern Rocky Mountains.

    Educating for Change

    Education is the first step in wildlife advocacy. How can someone argue for a cause unless they are informed about the topic and understand how the political process works?

Personal Encounter

    Eyes on Wildlife

    In the early 1990s, wolves returned to the northern edge of Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Rumors abounded, and speculations piqued the interest of my students. "Do we really have wolves here?" some asked. "What are they like?" "Are they mean?"

Tracking the Pack

    The International Wolf Center: Where Wolves Meet the Web

    The mission of the International Wolf Center is to advance the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wild lands and the human role in their future. This mission is accomplished through exhibits, on-site educational programs, adventure programs, outreach education, teacher workshops, curricula, our quarterly magazine and our Web site.

Wolves for the Classroom

    The Wolf as a Keystone for Teaching Essential Skills

    Bookstores, libraries and online sources offer an almost limitless array of books and films about wolves. Wolf Web sites compete for attention. What are the best resources? Below are some suggestions for all audiences—teachers and students, parents, the general public.

What Should We Teach About Wolves?

    Wolf education encompasses an enormous number of topics, only a portion of which can be included in time-limited educational programs. The International Wolf Center has developed a list of priority learning objectives to ensure that all students learn the basics about a few key topics.

A Look Beyond

    Of Wolves and Wild Lands

    The wild lands surrounding Yellowstone National Park, known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), are rapidly being changed by residential population growth and commercial development. In fact, the twenty counties in the GYE are growing faster than any state in the country, faster even than Arizona and Florida.