Wolf Haven International

Education: wolf haven international provides a variety of educational presentations about wolves and their critical role in a healthy ecosystem, and advocates for wolves in the wild through partnerships and state advisory groups. Wolf haven bridges the existing education gap by providing science and arts-based programs, as well as guided sanctuary and prairie walks, to groups of all ages and backgrounds. We offer close to 20 in-person programs both on and off site (in english and spanish) in washington, california, and oregon, and provide virtual programming around the world. Topics include: wolves of the northwest, world of wolves, and vanishing creatures. Wolf haven's newest education tool was developed in collaboration with colorado state university's college of natural sciences education and outreach center (csu): a hands-on ,self-led, wolf-based education kit. Exploring the scientific method from the angle of ecosystems and wolves, these kits cover a large range of canid information in a 90-minute session, facilitated by wolf haven staff or a classroom teacher. Starting with a little history on wolves in north america, students learn about hunting, family behavior, communication, ecosystem roles, and the variety of human perspectives on these animals all from the lens of a biologist. Wolf haven continues to partner with csu to develop more educational kits, focusing on a variety of environmental topics. All of wolf haven's educational programs meet next generation science standards (ngss) and offer a balanced perspective that respects diverse stakeholders in the community. Wolf haven hosts an annual three-day wildlife handling and chemical immobilization course for professionals working with wildlife and/or captive animals. The course is taught by dr. Mark johnson of global wildlife resources. As the first wildlife veterinarian for the national park service and the former project veterinarian for yellowstone national park's gray wolf reintroduction, dr. Johnson presents worldwide on compassionate animal handling. In his course with wolf haven, students learn humane methods of animal handling, chemical immobilization monitoring vital signs, and radio collaring techniques. Wolf haven has hosted this annual course for 21 years and it remains the only course in the u.s. That offers a hands-on immobilization lab with wolves.

Conservation & prairie restoration: wolf haven participates in two federally managed recovery programs designed to ensure the continued health and survival of two endangered wolf species: the american red wolf and the mexican grey wolf. Wolf haven is a captive breeding facility for both programs, as well as a pre-release site. Pre-release enclosures are designed to prepare the wolves for lives in the wild. Interaction with humans is kept to a minimum and most observations are done via remote camera. Ten litters of mexican wolf pups and five litters of american red wolf pups have been born at wolf haven as part of their respective recovery programs. To date, a total of 24 wolves from our sanctuary have been released into the wild: two red wolves into the recovery area in north carolina, two packs of mexican wolves into the apache national forest in arizona, and one pack of mexican wolves into mexico. Wolf haven staff serve on washington's wolf advisory group, which was created in 2013 by washington department of fish & wildlife to share a broad range of perspectives that can help inform wdfw's ongoing wolf management efforts. In addition, in 2024 wolf haven launched a new conservation program called "wolf wise communities," which unites community members in southwest wa to consider the possible natural return of wild wolves to our local landscape. Through conversations, collaboration, and experiential exchanges, this program aims to: 1) understand the ways in which people perceive wolf issues 2) identify shared goals 3) exchange reliable information 4) brainstorm solutions 5) cultivate a shared sense of ownership over the entire process and its outcomesin addition to our wolf sanctuary, wolf haven's acreage includes 36 acres of rare mima mound prairie, 8 acres of garry oak/conifer woodlands, and 8 acres of wetlands. This mosaic of habitats makes up the patrick vance dunn memorial prairie, which offers unique opportunities for restoration and reintroduction of regionally rare species. Restoration activities on our prairie are conducted through working partnerships with the center for natural lands management, u.s. Department of defense, washington department of fish & wildlife, washington department of natural resources, usda natural resource conservation service, u.s. Fish and wildlife service, and black hills audubon society. Wolf haven's prairie has seen a remarkable resurgence of native flora and fauna. By regularly removing invasive species, like scotch broom, and conducting prescribed prairie burns, more than 190 plant species have been identified. 332 mazama pocket gophers have been relocated from sites under development to mounds on our prairie and at least 54 species of birds have been sighted. Bat boxes on site are heavily used by native bat populations. Wolf haven's prairie is also a proposed reintroduction site for the rare taylor's checkerspot butterfly.