4/1 - EVENING

Tonight students discussed and explored the life of a wolf. They learned about the Alpha Male and Female and the importance of their roles in their pack. Students learned the characteristics, habitat, adaptations, and senses of the wolf before participating in a simulation. We were out in the woods (yes, in the dark), following our Alpha Male and Female while searching out food, maintaining our status among other packs, and most importantly, protecting ourselves from hunters. Several wolves were taken out by the hunters and others lost their role as the Alpha wolf. When our simulation was over, we gather to reflect on the experience and learn the truth and myths about our wolf population. It is down significantly from previous years but is showing a rising trend. It was interesting to learn that people are responsible for the loss of 4 times as many deer than wolves (hunting and car accidents). It was also interesting to learn that there is no documented account of a human being attacked by a healthy wolf (yet there are thousands of documented attacks by domesticated dogs). Sounds like wolves get a bad rap.