Welcome Day: Wolves
Date
Sunday, October 20, 2024 | 11 am–3 pm
Location
Tickets
Celebrate Wolf Awareness Week at NHM with our traveling exhibition, Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan. Showcasing the work of National Geographic photographer, Ronan Donovan, this exhibition documents the lives of Arctic and Yellowstone wolves through rich, breathtaking photographs. Join us in exploring and learning about the worlds that these wolves inhabit, view rarely seen Museum collections of ancient and modern canids, enjoy wolf-related activities that are fun for the whole family, and more!
Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan is an exhibition from National Geographic Society in collaboration with the National Museum of Wildlife Art, supported through the patronship of Jacques Marie Mage.
Program Schedule
Exhibitor Tables
Available from 11 am–3 pm
- Museum Collections: View collections of wolf and canid specimens from Vertebrate Paleontology, Mammalogy, and La Brea Tar Pits.
- Wolf Connection: Wolf sanctuary and human healing organization that offers multidisciplinary programs that foster self-confidence, purpose, and resilience.
- California Wolf Project (CAWP): Come learn about our new research initiative launched within UC Berkeley’s Wildlife Program aimed at advancing the science and management of gray wolves in California!
Activities
Available from 11 am–3 pm
- Wolf Coloring Station
- Drop-in Activity: Dog or ImPAWster?: Join us for an animal sorting game to learn about dog-specific adaptations!
- Where-Wolf? Museum Exploration – Scavenger Hunt: From extinct dire wolves to city coyotes, wolves are part of a big canine family. Join your pack and go on the hunt for all things wolves here at the Museum! Pick up these scavenger hunt activity sheets at our event welcome table.
Timed Programs
- 11 am | Wolf Pup Story Time: Join our Museum Educators for a storytime reading of Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7. Hear the story of how this young gray wolf traveled 2,000 miles from his home and became the first wild wolf found in California in over a century.
- 11:30 am–1:30 pm | Wolf Connection Presentation: Meet live wolf ambassadors from the Wolf Connection, a wolf sanctuary and human empowerment organization. Learn more about the wolf conservation effort and the differences between wolves in the wild and wolves that live in captivity.
- 1 pm | California Wolves Discussion: Join our guest speakers as they discuss California wolves in a panel discussion moderated by Ronan Donovan.
Learn About the Program Participants:
As a field biologist turned visual storyteller, Ronan Donovan strives to create imagery that brings curiosity and awe to scientific papers. Ronan likes to think that he adds heartbeats to data points. His work is mission driven and uses photos and videos to highlight conservation issues to help reframe stuck narratives surrounding modern humans and the non-human world. The deep roots of the human-wolf relationship and the ongoing conversations about how modern cultures can tolerate the existence of wild wolves offers numerous entry points to bring people together.
Axel is the Statewide Gray Wolf Coordinator for California Department of Fish and Wildlife, where he leads the state’s efforts in gray wolf conservation management, recovery, and research. Axel is a wildlife ecologist and wildlife manager who has worked across countries and continents with various large carnivores, with most of his career being spent in various parts of Africa.
Kaggie Orrick is a postdoctoral scholar working for the California Wolf Project at UC Berkeley. She graduated from the Yale School of the Environment with a PhD focused on human-wildlife interactions in Botswana. Her work bridges ecological and social science theories to advance our ability to conduct conservation science.
Kirk Wilbur is Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Cattlemen’s Association, representing cattle ranchers and beef producers throughout the Golden State. Wilbur is a graduate of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. and of the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, and has worked at CCA since 2013.
Located in the Angeles National Forest on 165 acres, Wolf Connection is a sanctuary home to 44 wolf dogs from all over the country. As a human healing organization, they use Wolf Therapy to offer multidisciplinary programs that foster self confidence, purpose, and resilience through wolf lessons and stories. These majestic animals, who would otherwise be euthanized, receive state-of-the-art care and enrichment, becoming ambassadors of hope to all who witness them, and a much needed voice for their wild brothers and sisters.
Museum Educators
The Museum Educator team at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County are the knowledgeable staff that enhance the visitor experience through personal interaction. Through research and training, Museum Educators create and facilitate educational programs for general museum visitors, for school groups, and for special events, both in-person and virtual.
Research and Collections
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County protect and share more than 35 million specimens and artifacts, the largest natural and cultural history collection in the western United States. The Research and Collections Department is the research institution within the museums. They create new knowledge through academic scholarship in history and science. Visitors can get up close to these fascinating objects and specimens, which are sometimes displayed in exhibitions and during museum events.
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