Excerpt from Elastic Cares blog post. In this special Earth Day edition of the Helper Node series, we hear from Diana Tuck, who volunteers with Wolf Haven International and MYCAT to help protect wolves and large cats for a healthier planet.
Beth Barham making loaf for the wolves.
by Cindy Irwin, Director of Education & Volunteer Services, Wolf Haven
What makes a team of volunteers successful? Some of the elements include:
· Passion for the mission of Wolf Haven
· A desire to work for people as well as animals
· Versatility
· A willingness to learn and share that knowledge respectfully
These qualities are exemplified by our volunteer of the quarter, Beth Barham. Beth is one our most busy volunteers, because she wears many hats. Not only does Beth help make loaves of meat for the wolves using yummy meats like tripe, heart, and kidneys, she also is a member of our cemetery clean up crew. Beth enjoys public interaction at educational events, and she assists me in the volunteer department. Whatever the task, Beth shows up with a smile and a gracious attitude.
Beth comes to us from California, where she and her husband raised 4 children. Now retired, Beth gets to fulfill her love of nature and animals by volunteering, hiking, and camping. Beth’s household includes three dogs, one cat, two birds, and a turtle! This busy gal also volunteers with foster children, giving back to our community in yet one more way.
I often think of our volunteer team as the engine and fuel that drive Wolf Haven. Beth is an example of one of the vital parts of this engine, without which we could not continue as a sanctuary. We are all grateful for your work and energy Beth. We look forward to many years to come!
by Dan Monn, Animal Care, Gift Shop & Volunteer Assistant
Wolf Haven International is very lucky to have an amazing and diverse group of volunteers. Our newest Volunteer of the Quarter, Kieran, also happens to be one of our youngest, yet the first day I met him, he told me he would have started much sooner if he could. He had quite a wait to meet the age requirement (17), given he wanted to be a volunteer at Wolf Haven ever since visiting in the 5th grade. Knowing his time commitments as a Senior at Black Hills High School with other interests, we are honored that he commits as much time volunteering at Wolf Haven as he does.
Managing his time between school, marching band and working toward his pilot’s license Kieran still spends most Sundays helping us at the docent table. He does a great job engaging and interacting with our guests as they wait for their scheduled sanctuary visits. He has a warm and friendly personality that makes him very approachable for any who are interested in learning a little more during their time with us.
Beyond his interactions with the guests, Kieran also does a lot to help around the grounds. He arrives a couple hours before each docent shift to do some extra work. Usually it is a lot of weeding and pulling blackberry, though some Sundays our Sanctuary Manager Erik Wilber, will steal him to help with a special project. This led to one of Kieran’s favorite memories. Recently working with Erik, Kieran got to help with the preparation for our newest wolf enclosure. This “glamorous” job involved brush clearing in preparation for Southgate Fence Inc. to set posts, hauling away limbs and clearing brambles and blackberry. He was excited to contribute as we work to provide more space and flexibility for the care of the wolves – and WE are excited to have the help of such a dedicated volunteer.
By Dan Monn, Animal Care, Gift Shop and Volunteer Assistant
Wolf Haven International
Rosina Newton started volunteering at Wolf Haven International almost four years ago, and she has been enriching guests’ experiences ever since. If you aren’t sure if you’ve been on one of her sanctuary visits, you may remember her trademark wolf ears and tail and bright personality. Rosina is a guide on both sanctuary and prairie visits, and also helps with our school groups. When Rosina is guiding our public visits, she goes above and beyond. She will take a group of guests into the wolf sanctuary for the 50-minute visit, and then lead any interested parties out to the prairie, returning just in time to take the next group into the sanctuary. Her dedication and passion shine through every visit she leads.
Originally from Seattle, Rosina’s first introduction to Wolf Haven happened when she saw a presentation at the Edmonds Library as a child. Years later, her love of animals brought her to Yelm to be closer to her horses and lucky for us it brought her closer to Wolf Haven. Remembering that first introduction she scheduled a visit soon. On a hot afternoon Rosina was the only guest, and though she didn’t see any wolves, she said the guide did such a great job she was convinced to volunteer herself.
Now Rosina is the guide sticking it out in rough weather. In fact, one of her favorite visits was one that was nearly canceled. On Halloween a couple years ago, the last visit occurred during a nasty hail storm; still, a handful of hearty souls showed up. Rosina was more than happy to take the group in, and they were rewarded with a show. All the wolves were out, and some were even playfully jumping trying to catch the hail. Good weather, or bad, Rosina always gives our guests a rewarding experience.
Wolf Haven Volunteer of the Quarter – Tashina Kimble
By Dan Monn, Animal Care, Gift Shop and Volunteer Assistant
Wolf Haven International
Tashina is one of our homegrown volunteers; she was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon and raised not far from here, in Yelm, Washington. She has been a volunteer at Wolf Haven International for six years, but interested in wildlife conservation for much longer. Tashina is a recent graduate of Evergreen, and now has her eyes set on an advanced degree as she continues toward her goal of working in wildlife outreach and education.
Tashina began volunteering at Wolf Haven as a senior in high school. She wanted her senior project to be related to wildlife and she found us! She worked with Erik from our animal care team to come up with a project, and has been contributing as a volunteer ever since. Now Tashina guides visits, and does a lot of outreach work for Wolf Haven. She spent time here as an intern while studying at The Evergreen State College, and the work Tashina did then has helped shape the way we convey Wolf Haven’s values and mission to the public.
In fact, Tashina’s favorite part of volunteering is spending time with the public and sharing her passion for the individual animals and wildlife conservation. One of her favorite moments was getting to see Lorenzo, (now deceased) a Mexican gray wolf, get an elk leg. Animal care staff does not usually feed the wolves during public visits, plus elk legs are a rare treat. Another favorite moment occurred during a group howl as she was leading visitors through the sanctuary. To be present during a howl is a special moment for anyone, but it was especially so for a guest who was moved to tears. Sharing that moment is something Tashina says she’ll remember for a long time.
“I do have a favorite. His name is London, and he is considered a victim of the film industry. People tried training him to be vicious, but he wasn’t a very good actor.”
Volunteer designed frame for wolf photos
by Cindy Irwin, Director of Volunteer Services, Wolf Haven International
Wolf Haven volunteers help to create a better world for wolves and people in many ways. Just as the wolf pack depends upon one another for survival, Wolf Haven depends on volunteers to help us accomplish our goals.
Here are some of many activities our volunteers are involved with that support our mission, “to conserve and protect wolves and their habitat”.
Volunteers Becky & Kaye prepare material for education programs.
Volunteer guide talks to group about wolves.
• Provide our guests with a chance to see sanctuary animals and learn about wolf behavior
• Get their hands dirty in the ground to help create a beautiful landscape
• Staff information tables that provide additional information about wolf behavior
•Ask for donations to further the work of the sanctuary
• Serve as a board member for Wolf Haven
• Use artistic talents to support our events & fundraisers
Volunteer Suzanne talks to visitors about prairie plants.
• Create unique or smelly “enrichment” for the resident animals
• Guide guests through the prairie so they can learn about the native plants and animals
• Provide information about wolf conservation throughout the community at schools, churches, fairs, and prisons
• Give visitors a memorable experience at our sanctuary
Volunteer Kevin discusses nonlethal deterrents to keep predators from livestock.
Could you be a Wolf Haven volunteer? Want to learn more? Send an email to Wolf Haven’s Director of Volunteer Services, Cindy Irwin, at cirwin@wolfhaven.org.
Volunteers tend to the enrichment garden in wolf sanctuary.