Volume 10 Issue 1 Fall 2009
From the Director’s Chair An Update from Executive Director Kim Wheeler I remember the first time someone told me, “Thank you for what you do” after I had finished a red wolf program. There would be other times these words were said to me and, frankly, they got me thinking. We live in a society that is not always quick to give credit, so the fact that people consider my actions worthy of a thank you made me ponder what I was doing to receive this prized show of appreciation. The answer came to me while I was riding my bike one evening. Yes, that giant light bulb above my head came on! When I talk about the red wolf program and the animals, I am able to make these topics personal for people. I talk about some of the funny things that have happened to the field staff and about some of the animals I have cared for when I am the fill-in caretaker. Talking about the Red Wolf Recovery Program is never boring for me, and once you get me started you had better be prepared to listen for a while. I believe that Canis rufus should be a part of the landscape. When the red wolf was gone, the Southeast was missing a very valuable part of the ecosystem. The challenge for me is to find different ways to explain the scientific, economic, social and political value of having red wolves on the landscape. Every person I talk too offers me the opportunity to expand his or her knowledge about red wolves. Northeastern North Carolina might be the only place in the world where red wolves live in the wild, but we also have other amazing animals that call this place home. We have a large black bear population, the birds that migrate here each year, crazy wild turkeys and a lot of deer. I have the opportunity to view these animals every day when I ride my bike on the local refuge properties. It’s fun to share my stories about how some wild turkeys seemed to chase me one night while I was riding or about how I learned to be patient when I encounter a black bear to see if it is going to move off the road or if I am going to have to turn around because it won’t move. These encounters allow me to enhance my red wolf conversations because I can talk about other animals that live within the restoration area. I recently was honored with the “Who Speaks for Wolf” conservation award from the International Wolf Center. This award is like an actor winning an Academy Award, and one that I never dreamed of receiving. The International Wolf Center is one of the premier wolf education organizations, and its recognition of the work we do on behalf of red wolf restoration inspires me to work even harder to help audiences understand the value of having red wolves on the landscape. (continued on next page)