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Archive for July 21st, 2013

Overnight Camps

Posted in Wolves and educational activities on July 21, 2013| 2 Comments »


Wotan

Photo of “Wotan” is property of Wolf Park.

“Want to learn more about wolves?  Want to spend some special time at Wolf Park when the rest of the public is gone?  “Camp” overnight in our Education Building and spend a weekend with the wolves!  Children will learn about wolves, foxes, coyotes, and bison — and other fascinating things in the world around them — in a safe and educational setting.  Campers will play animal tracking and direction-finding games, do crafts projects and make treats for the wolves.  Participants might also meet some Canis lupus familiaris (domestic dogs) and the Park’s tame red foxes (under adult supervision).  A Howl Night program is part of these fun weekends.  A campfire with marshmallows as the wolves howl in the dark makes for a truly special night!

Overnight Camps are $60 per child which includes all craft materials and meals (a dinner, breakfast and lunch – please inform us of any dietary restrictions your child has).  No drop-ins; children must be pre-registered to attend.  Children will need to bring bedding and pillows.  Overnight Camp begins at 1pm on Saturday, and ends at 4pm on Sunday.  Please arrange drop-off and pick-up accordingly.  Space is limited, so be sure to register soon!

All campers should bring water bottles.  Plenty of water will be available, and while safe to drink, our well-water has a strong metallic taste, so bringing water from home is encouraged so that kids stay hydrated.  Sprinkler time is a favorite camp activity on hot days.  Children should bring a bathing suit and towel along with them.  Cameras are welcome and recommended — there will be lots of opportunities for picture-taking!  Be sure to bring sunscreen and/or bug spray.

Camp will take place rain or shine — we will not cancel due to weather — so be sure to bring rain gear just in case.  In the event of inclement weather, activities will take place indoors.  Also, this camp is KIDS ONLY!  We are sorry, but we do not allow adults to remain with their children during camp.”

**Special thank to “Wolf Park” for providing this information (http://wolfpark.gostorego.com/camps/overnight-camps.html)!

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Agriculture’s Misnamed Agency

Posted in Wolf Current Events on July 21, 2013| 2 Comments »


Wolf
By 
Published: July 17, 2013

“There is a unit within the Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service called Wildlife Services. Its official mission, according to its Web site, is “to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist.” This has meant, since 2000, some two million dead animals. The list includes coyotes, beavers, mountain lions, black bears and innumerable birds. The agency’s real mission? To make life safer for livestock and game species.

There will obviously be times when livestock and predators come into conflict, when coyotes kill lambs and black bears become too accustomed to humans and cause genuine harm. But Wildlife Services’ lethal damage is broad and secretive, according to a series in The Sacramento Bee last year. The techniques are old-fashioned — steel traps and cyanide cartridges — and the result, according to a new study in the journal Conservation Letters, is a program that is wasteful, destructive to the balance of ecosystems and, ultimately, ineffective.

Under one name or another — for years it was part of the Interior Department — the agency has been doing its work as quietly as possible, though not without protest from Congress, scientists and members of the public who got wind of what was going on. Two House members — John Campbell, a California Republican; and Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat — have pressed for Congressional hearings and have asked the Agriculture Department’s inspector general to investigate Wildlife Services.

The agency, opponents say, has not scientifically evaluated the consequences of its actions and has consistently understated the damage it does to “nontarget” species, like songbirds. Its work also undercuts other programs intended to protect the balance of natural ecosystems.

It is time the public got a clear picture of what Wildlife Services is up to, and time for the Department of Agriculture to bring the agency’s work into accord with sound biological practices. Resolving wildlife conflicts need not involve indiscriminate killing.”

**Special thanks to “The Editorial Board” for providing this information (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/18/opinion/agricultures-misnamed-agency.html)

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