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Earlier this year I was a judge for the third annual Mexican wolf pup naming contest. The drawings and essays submitted by kids from around the country amazed me with their knowledge and thoughtfulness. Pictured above is one of the winning entries. Eleanor’s name, Monty, was given to male pup (mp)1386 (his official identification) a member of the Prieto Pack, a family of wolves that runs and hunts in the mountains of New Mexico.
A former winner in the naming contest, Turner Burns, started a Facebook page, Kids for Wolves, several years ago after meeting Atka, one of the ambassador wolves at the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC). Today, he has over 4000 followers and uses his page to educate both kids and adults about wolves in the United States and Canada. In a post earlier this week, he reminded me that I needed to make a call to my representative in Congress about a pending bill that would remove protections for endangered wolves.
Atka is also an inspiration to Peyton, seen howling in this video with the Arctic wolf.
11 year-old Peyton is helping to save the wolves by running 13.1 miles this October to support the Wolf Conservation Center and raise awareness for the importance and plight of the wild predators. Please check out Peyton’s CrowdRise page and support his effort here: http://bit.ly/1FIrv2bWith kiddos like Peyton, the world is looking a little brighter, Thank you, Peyton!
Posted by Wolf Conservation Center on Sunday, June 28, 2015
But it’s not just wolves. Every few days I see stories about kids finding creative ways to help wildlife, trees, homeless pets.
Best friends, Caroline and Claire, raised money with a bake sale and donated the money to Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco.
Caroline (a sixth-grader) and Claire (a fifth-grader) sent us a donation accompanied by this adorable note. Thank you!Inspired? We appreciate donations of any amount: http://fuf.net/donate
Posted by Friends of the Urban Forest on Tuesday, May 26, 2015
In New Mexico Dezirae saves her money from chores to give to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.
We are so thankful for Dezirae! This 15-year-old amazing teen saves her money from chores and donates incredible treats,…
Posted by Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society on Friday, July 3, 2015
It starts with field trips and camp outs: kids learning about bats and butterflies, sunflowers and saguaros. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this little guy doing something great in the next few years!
Here’s a cute video of a kid telling us all about what he learned about bats with us here during Pollinator Week!
Posted by Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Thanks to each one of these kids for being an inspiration to us all!