Wolf Mountain Nature Center to hold birthday party for tenants
SMYRNA – It’s birthday time for the animals at the Wolf Mountain Nature Center and administrator Will Pryor is pulling out all of the stops to throw them a party complete with guests, activities and cake.
Beginning at noon on Sunday, participants will don their party hats for a birthday bash that is open to anyone and everyone interested in learning more about the center and celebrating the lives of some of nature’s most beautiful creatures.
The event is free, but the center will be collecting donations to fund a nine-acre area for the wolf pack.
Birthday cake, coffee and refreshments will be provided and tours around the facility will give guests a chance to see exactly what happens at the unique establishment.
Wolf Mountain isn’t a zoo, and the wolves, foxes and coyotes that reside on the 20-acre reserve aren’t attractions.
When Pryor opened the center five years ago, he wanted to learn about, to teach about and to understand these magnificent creatures.
“It’s about honoring the spirit of the wolf,” he said. “They watch us and learn ... and they’ve taught us so much.”
Pryor explained that because the wolves breed during only a certain period each year, the birthdays of each inhabitant falls in either the month of April or May.
There are currently eight wolves, both arctic and timber, inhabiting the facility: five males and three females. Three of those were in fact born in Wolf Mountain dens.
The facility is also home to two arctic foxes, a fact that surprises most guests, said Pryor. Also, two coyotes have made the center their home with the addition of four babies on April 11.
“There are no captive, socialized coyote packs so this is an incredible experience for us,” said Pryor. “With each of the animals we are able to learn about their lifestyles and their habits.”
Visitors will have a chance to learn about the animals’ lifestyles and more at a variety of booths set up at the party. How many people know that arctic foxes will take on a grizzly bear, or that wolves will eat fish, deer, chicken, eggs, zucchini, apples and almost anything in between?
Some might be surprised to learn that the center itself is run entirely on solar and wind energy. Others might be interested in the fact that trout is supplied to the animals from SUNY Morrisville fish farms and deer meat is provided by the Department of Transportation roadkill cleanup.
And who could have possibly guessed that their gift shop is home to one of the largest collections of wild animal plush collectibles in New York?
With the multitude of information available at the birthday party, Pryor hopes to find interested individuals who would like to participate in the extensive project.
“The most difficult part is finding consistant, quality volunteers and trying to coordinate with them,” said Pryor. “It takes quite a bit of time to become qualified to work directly with the wolves, but there’s always something to do from painting to carpentry, hauling brush, landscaping and giving educational tours.”
Pryor continued saying that anyone is welcome to help and part of the experience is working with individuals from every profession and walk of life.
“Who are we? We’re teachers, biologists, grandparents, educators, firefighters ... we’re people that love what we do,” he said.
Volunteer work isn’t the only option for anyone interested in helping Wolf Mountain, said Pryor. A $100 donation will buy a post for the fence with a plaque displaying the name of the charitable individual or company.
Smaller donations are always welcome as Pryor hopes to include new equipment - such as microscopes and video projectors - a classroom for educational seminars and a webcam for live streaming of the animals’ habitats.
Any donation is greatly appreciated, but it’s the joy of having visitors that will make this a birthday party to remember, said Pryor.
“Come see the twins Cayuga and Seneca ... proud parents Natani and Nakoa ... just the size of Dancing Turtle, the alpha wolf, is amazing,” he included. “And everyone loves the arctic foxes, which were saved from being furred out on a farm in Wisconsin.”
Pryor also urged anyone interested in a preview of what they’ll see at the birthday party to visit the Artist’s Pallette in Norwich for paintings by Chenango County artists.
For more information, visit thewolfmountainnaturecenter.org.
Beginning at noon on Sunday, participants will don their party hats for a birthday bash that is open to anyone and everyone interested in learning more about the center and celebrating the lives of some of nature’s most beautiful creatures.
The event is free, but the center will be collecting donations to fund a nine-acre area for the wolf pack.
Birthday cake, coffee and refreshments will be provided and tours around the facility will give guests a chance to see exactly what happens at the unique establishment.
Wolf Mountain isn’t a zoo, and the wolves, foxes and coyotes that reside on the 20-acre reserve aren’t attractions.
When Pryor opened the center five years ago, he wanted to learn about, to teach about and to understand these magnificent creatures.
“It’s about honoring the spirit of the wolf,” he said. “They watch us and learn ... and they’ve taught us so much.”
Pryor explained that because the wolves breed during only a certain period each year, the birthdays of each inhabitant falls in either the month of April or May.
There are currently eight wolves, both arctic and timber, inhabiting the facility: five males and three females. Three of those were in fact born in Wolf Mountain dens.
The facility is also home to two arctic foxes, a fact that surprises most guests, said Pryor. Also, two coyotes have made the center their home with the addition of four babies on April 11.
“There are no captive, socialized coyote packs so this is an incredible experience for us,” said Pryor. “With each of the animals we are able to learn about their lifestyles and their habits.”
Visitors will have a chance to learn about the animals’ lifestyles and more at a variety of booths set up at the party. How many people know that arctic foxes will take on a grizzly bear, or that wolves will eat fish, deer, chicken, eggs, zucchini, apples and almost anything in between?
Some might be surprised to learn that the center itself is run entirely on solar and wind energy. Others might be interested in the fact that trout is supplied to the animals from SUNY Morrisville fish farms and deer meat is provided by the Department of Transportation roadkill cleanup.
And who could have possibly guessed that their gift shop is home to one of the largest collections of wild animal plush collectibles in New York?
With the multitude of information available at the birthday party, Pryor hopes to find interested individuals who would like to participate in the extensive project.
“The most difficult part is finding consistant, quality volunteers and trying to coordinate with them,” said Pryor. “It takes quite a bit of time to become qualified to work directly with the wolves, but there’s always something to do from painting to carpentry, hauling brush, landscaping and giving educational tours.”
Pryor continued saying that anyone is welcome to help and part of the experience is working with individuals from every profession and walk of life.
“Who are we? We’re teachers, biologists, grandparents, educators, firefighters ... we’re people that love what we do,” he said.
Volunteer work isn’t the only option for anyone interested in helping Wolf Mountain, said Pryor. A $100 donation will buy a post for the fence with a plaque displaying the name of the charitable individual or company.
Smaller donations are always welcome as Pryor hopes to include new equipment - such as microscopes and video projectors - a classroom for educational seminars and a webcam for live streaming of the animals’ habitats.
Any donation is greatly appreciated, but it’s the joy of having visitors that will make this a birthday party to remember, said Pryor.
“Come see the twins Cayuga and Seneca ... proud parents Natani and Nakoa ... just the size of Dancing Turtle, the alpha wolf, is amazing,” he included. “And everyone loves the arctic foxes, which were saved from being furred out on a farm in Wisconsin.”
Pryor also urged anyone interested in a preview of what they’ll see at the birthday party to visit the Artist’s Pallette in Norwich for paintings by Chenango County artists.
For more information, visit thewolfmountainnaturecenter.org.
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