Earthfire Stories

Tag: Wolves
Wolf climbing a willow tree

A Wolf (Or Two) in a Tree?

Many years ago, Jean, Co-founder of Earthfire Institute, saw a magnificent old cottonwood tree stump lying on a sidewalk in Driggs, ID. It lay on its side in the hot sun, all of its limbs sawed off and strewn around

Read More
Wolf standing on a small rise beside some trees

Wolves and the Power of Collective Action

For those of us who love wolves and know how critical they are to the health of many ecosystems, this year’s wave of government-sanctioned wolf hunts in states across the country has been nothing short of heartbreaking. Given that reality,

Read More
Gray wolf looks into a woman's eyes

Transformation and Connection

Cucumber was a small, aloof wolf. For years she went about her business working to become the alpha female in her pack. She wanted little to do with humans. One December she became critically ill. She had a raging infection

Read More
Young wolf standing against the backdrop of the blue sky

Befriending Tundra the Wolf

There are just as many personality differences in animals as there are in people, a concept that becomes more evident to me each time I do my daily rounds. While Tanaka the wolf and I are now good friends and

Read More
White bison eating hay

Snapshots of Earthfire

Between getting ready for winter and speaking at a variety of events, we’ve been especially busy lately. But Dante Rios, our animal caretaker, has been delighting us with beautiful pictures of our animal residents. Please enjoy!  (Click to enlarge)

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Raccoons emerging from a crate

Raccoon Release Day

The weather was perfect and the girls were ready, so we knew it was the right day for releasing our rehabilitation raccoons. We found the ideal spot with a small stream and ample natural food in a location where we

Read More
Two orphaned and hairless baby squirrels

Two Tiny Orphans

Tiny arms intertwined with one another, the two orphaned baby squirrels lay sleeping. I gently disentangled the little girl for a feeding. So tiny they fit into one half of my hand, eyes tightly closed shut, delicate pink skin still

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Black Bear resting behind a large rock

Huckleberry Bear Bear Steals a Hose

Huckleberry Bear Bear is quite elderly now, so foolishly, we trusted him. We wash the bear enclosures with a powerful hose, which is an object of great interest for the bears. (Ramble the grizzly snares one with some regularity and

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A white wolf and a dark gray wolf howling together

The Morning Howl

As I walk through the early morning cold, the wolves and coyotes begin their morning howl. I let the beauty of the sound vibrate through me, into me, into every cell of my body until the music of the howls

Read More
Sparrow in hand

The Avalanche Sparrow

It’s been snowing and snowing here—a welcome event as that is a normal winter for us. It is what life is adapted to here. Snow insulates the ground and the roots of the trees from the cold. The voles burrow

Read More
Wolf climbing a willow tree

A Wolf (Or Two) in a Tree?

Many years ago, Jean, Co-founder of Earthfire Institute, saw a magnificent old cottonwood tree stump lying on a sidewalk in Driggs, ID. It lay on its side in the hot sun, all of its limbs sawed off and strewn around it. It had been cut down to make room for

Read More
Wolf standing on a small rise beside some trees

Wolves and the Power of Collective Action

For those of us who love wolves and know how critical they are to the health of many ecosystems, this year’s wave of government-sanctioned wolf hunts in states across the country has been nothing short of heartbreaking. Given that reality, news from Wisconsin provides some welcome relief. A judge has

Read More
Gray wolf looks into a woman's eyes

Transformation and Connection

Cucumber was a small, aloof wolf. For years she went about her business working to become the alpha female in her pack. She wanted little to do with humans. One December she became critically ill. She had a raging infection and her organs were close to shutting down. The vet

Read More
Young wolf standing against the backdrop of the blue sky

Befriending Tundra the Wolf

There are just as many personality differences in animals as there are in people, a concept that becomes more evident to me each time I do my daily rounds. While Tanaka the wolf and I are now good friends and he excitedly greets me on my daily visits, not everyone

Read More
White bison eating hay

Snapshots of Earthfire

Between getting ready for winter and speaking at a variety of events, we’ve been especially busy lately. But Dante Rios, our animal caretaker, has been delighting us with beautiful pictures of our animal residents. Please enjoy!  (Click to enlarge)

Read More
Raccoons emerging from a crate

Raccoon Release Day

The weather was perfect and the girls were ready, so we knew it was the right day for releasing our rehabilitation raccoons. We found the ideal spot with a small stream and ample natural food in a location where we can provide supplementation if they need it to thrive through

Read More
Two orphaned and hairless baby squirrels

Two Tiny Orphans

Tiny arms intertwined with one another, the two orphaned baby squirrels lay sleeping. I gently disentangled the little girl for a feeding. So tiny they fit into one half of my hand, eyes tightly closed shut, delicate pink skin still unprotected by fur. The little boy stirred and started to

Read More
Black Bear resting behind a large rock

Huckleberry Bear Bear Steals a Hose

Huckleberry Bear Bear is quite elderly now, so foolishly, we trusted him. We wash the bear enclosures with a powerful hose, which is an object of great interest for the bears. (Ramble the grizzly snares one with some regularity and seems to find a thrill in the upset caused by

Read More
A white wolf and a dark gray wolf howling together

The Morning Howl

As I walk through the early morning cold, the wolves and coyotes begin their morning howl. I let the beauty of the sound vibrate through me, into me, into every cell of my body until the music of the howls and I become one. 30 March. The melting mounds of

Read More
Sparrow in hand

The Avalanche Sparrow

It’s been snowing and snowing here—a welcome event as that is a normal winter for us. It is what life is adapted to here. Snow insulates the ground and the roots of the trees from the cold. The voles burrow along under the snow in long tunnels, feeding the magnificent

Read More

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