Steeped in myth, the wolf has become a misunderstood predator and too often evokes fear. By providing science-based information, the Wolf Conservation Center allows wolves and humans to better coexist in our fragile environment, improve our efforts to successfully restore endangered wolves to their ancestral homes in the wild, and offer direct exposure to an elusive predator people might not ever see in the wild. The WCC education and Ambassador wolf programs open the door to understanding. People can experience the WCC’s educational message in two ways: onsite programs at the WCC in South Salem, NY, and offsite WCC programs in schools, museums, libraries, and nature centers throughout the Northeast. 

The WCC conducted 344 onsite education programs during 2012, an increase of 100 over our 2010 count! We also extended 157 offsite programs. In total, over 38,000 people experienced our programming and learned about the crucial role that wolves play in the environment while beholding an elusive predator they would not likely see in the wild. Although our education impact grows every year, we aim to widen the impact of our education efforts by integrating WCC programming into the curricula of schools currently beyond our reach. This morning, WCC’s curriculum team made impressive strides in the development of a wolf curriculum designed to satisfy common core standards. The wolf is a charismatic subject and will serve as an ideal topic of interdisciplinary study. Thanks to the collaborative effort of a diverse group of 5 teachers (with almost 150 years of teaching experience collectively), some very lucky teachers and youngsters will benefit from a wonderfully wild approach to education! Stay tuned.