Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Tucked below the Sangre De Christo mountains of Southern Colorado resides a unique sanctuary called Mission: Wolf that hosts a group of 40 wolves born into captivity. Wild wolves were once abundant in Colorado playing an important role in the health of the ecosystem, but today there are less than 4,000 wild wolves in the lower 48 states.

We will spend the week learning about the world of wolves, the importance of predators in an ecosystem, animal tracking and awareness skills, wolf recovery efforts, as well as the natural and cultural history of our new environment. We will spend the week caring for wolves and their habitat in a peaceful refuge while learning how to support wild wolf recovery in Colorado and throughout the United States. While the days will be action packed, there will be plenty of time in the evenings for relaxing around the fire, hanging out, and philosophizing. You will be able to work on projects at your own pace, so make this experience as mild or as wild as you want. Spaces for this course are limited and fill up early so register today!

To register for this course, please click the Register For A Course Today! link or call us at 303.447.1076.

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL:

"The course was amazing! It was an awesome opportunity for me to learn more about what I want to do as a career, and got to volunteer at a refuge for some of the most wonderful, but misunderstood animals in North America, all while learning essential survival skills in the outdoors. It was a great experience, and I recommend it to anyone who cares to learn about nature, and survival in any number of environments!" Chelsea Weiskerger (a.k.a. Grizzly), Cottonwood Institute Alumni. Chelsea is currently a student at Colorado State University where she is studying wildlife biology and doing genetic research for their conservation biology program.

COURSE ITINERARY:

Day 1 – And We’re Off: The first day we will meet together at a central location to check equipment and travel to Mission: Wolf outside of Gardner, Colorado. We will be greeted by our hosts, set up our base camp,  set up our poncho shelters, learn how to minimize our impact in our new environment, spend some time getting to know each other, and we will be briefed about what to expect for the rest of the week.

Day 2 – Orientation, Introduction to Endangered Wolves, Nature Awareness Hike: In the morning we will be greeted by staff from Mission Wolf where we will go on a day hike to explore the preserve and learn about wolves and their habitat. In the afternoon, we practice our map and compass skills as we go on a hike to explore a nearby peak, we will identify about local edible and medicinal plants, and we will observe wolves from a distance to begin to understand their behavior.

Day 3 - 5 Wolf Caretaking Projects, Wilderness Survival Skills, Fireside Discussions, and Movie Night: Mission: Wolf relies heavily on volunteers to help care for the wolves and their 200+ acre sanctuary. Mission Wolf needs help with a variety of projects, but we will decide as a group which projects we will help out with during the week. Projects may include, but are not limited to food preparation for the wolves, butchering animals that have been donated to the wolves, feeding the wolves, maintaining fences, landscaping, building maintenance and construction projects, and gathering fire wood. During the afternoons, we will practice wilderness survival skills, including: survival scenarios, survival kits, water location and procurement, natural shelters, primitive and modern fire making methods, and rescue techniques. After dinner, we will have fireside discussions to discuss endangered wolves, environmental sustainability, the importance of service, how to reduce our environmental footprint, and how to change the world. If the conditions permit, we may also embark on a night hike or two. Towards the end of the course, we will have a movie night to learn more about endangered wolves and what is being done to reintroduce them to their natural habitat in the lower 48 states.

Day 6 – Final Celebration: During our last full day, we will have our final meal together, reflect on all that we have learned and accomplished during the week, watch a movie pertaining to wolves, and celebrate with marshmellows and S'mores around the fire. Participants will also set the intention to reduce their ecological footprint at home.

Day 7 – Depart: Pack up our gear, final clean up, and depart.

To register for this course, please click the Register For A Course Today! link or call us at 303.447.1076.

NUTS AND BOLTS:

• Host Organization: Mission: Wolf
• Location: Gardner, Colorado
• Date: August 2 - 8, 2008
• Course Code: EW-3
• Price: $995.
• Scholarships: To find out how to receive a Cottonwood Institute Scholarship, Click Here!
• Difficulty: Be prepared for hiking 2 miles a day at altitude and working hard taking care of the wolves and completing the service projects listed above.
• Beginners welcome!
• Course Books: Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, by Jim Halfpenny and Vicious: Wolves and Men in America, by Jon Coleman

To register for this course, please click the Register For A Course Today! link or call us at 303.447.1076.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU WILL:

• Get out of the house, sleep under the stars, and have an unforgettable adventure this summer.
• Learn about the ecology, behavior, habitat, and controversy surrounding endangered wolves.
• Complete much needed projects to care for wolves and their habitat at Mission: Wolf, a protected wolf sanctuary.
• Explore future careers in wolf ecology, species conservation, and environmental education.
• Knock out high school and/or college credit.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Where will we sleep? We will set up a base camp about 1/2 mile from Mission Wolf. As with all Cottonwood Institute courses, we recommend that students sleep under low-tech poncho shelters, which can be set up individually or with other students to make a larger group shelter. We will spend the first day learning the necessary knots and techniques for setting up a bomber poncho shelter. It is ok to bring a tent on this course.

Where do we go to the bathroom? Mission Wolf does have bathroom facilities (flushing toilet, running water, and an old fashioned out house). However, because we will be camped 1/2 mile from Mission Wolf, we will not have access to their facilities 24/7. While we are camping, we will use nature's bathroom like our ancestors have for hundreds of thousands of years and will practice minimum impact camping protocol of digging a cat hole and using natural materials. This will be explained in full detail on the first day of the course.

How much time to we get to spend with the wolves? Some students have the perception that we will be living with a pack of wild wolves during this course. While that would be interesting, that is unfortunately not the case. We will get to meet the wolves several times throughout the week, but unfortunately we will not be cuddling, rolling around, and playing with the wolves 100% of the time.

How hard is this course? This obviously depends on each individual, but we will hike from our base camp to Mission Wolf 1-2 times per day. We will also go on 2-3 mile day/night hikes throughout the week and work on a variety of service projects that can be physically demanding. We strongly encourage students to go at their own pace to make their course as mild or as wild as they feel comfortable pushing themselves.

I am traveling from out of state, how should I get to Colorado? We have had students from California, Wyoming, Ohio, New York, and New Orleans. If you are traveling from out of state, you need to coordinate your travel arrangements so you fly to Denver International Airport (DIA) one day before your course starts and plan to leave the day after your course ends. You will need to arrange lodging the night before your course starts and the night your course ends. A Cottonwood Institute representative will pick you up from your hotel the morning your course starts and take you to our course start location. When you register for this course, you will receive a detailed registration packet outlining all of the travel logistics. (Photo Credit: Denver International Airport).

To register for this course, please click the Register For A Course Today! link or call us at 303.447.1076.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD:

Please Click Here  to download a copy of our 2008 Summer Course Schedule to your computer. We are a small grassroots organization, so if you would be willing to email a copy of this flyer to your friends or print a few copies to post at your school, office, or favorite coffee shop, we would absolutely love it!