We attended an REI-sponsored presentation last night about "Journey," the first wild wolf to have ventured into California in almost ninety years. It was an enjoyable and educational talk. The issue of wolf reintroduction is a complicated and sometimes divisive one, but the continued return of these animals to California wilderness is something that anyone with an appreciation for the natural environment will likely hope for. In any case, it's nice to know that there is enough forward-thinking taking place that a management plan is being worked out in advance of possible proliferation. One can only hope that business and political interests do not take precedence over longer-term considerations.

But as interesting as the information about OR7 (Journey) was, I was also intrigued to learn that we have a wolf rehabilitation and breeding program here in southern California. The California Wolf Center is located near Julian, east of San Diego, and is involved in the Species Survival Plan to help the endangered Mexican Gray Wolf, as well as providing refuge for wolves that cannot be released into the wild. And of course a large component of their mission is to learn as much as possible about the behavior of these highly social animals.

The center offer tours, both public and private. We intend to find the time to visit, and I'll be sure to get into more specifics here about what we learn afterward.