Wolf & Carnivore Conference
WOLVES! We know that many people around the world love wolves, and others hate them. In Thompson, Manitoba, the Wolf Capital of Canada, we are taking the position that wolves are ”An Ecological and Economic Asset”. Located in the middle of Canadian wilderness, human-wolf conflicts here are rare. Wolf sightings are common. In this regard, we will be releasing a Wolf Economy Discussion Paper very soon.
To further open-minded discussion of the role and value of wolves, we invite the world to attend a Northern Hemisphere WOLF & CARNIVORE CONFERENCE on October 23-24, 2012.
Keynote speakers from Canadian, American and Russian universities and wildlife societies will attend.
Four major Themes will be presented covering wolf science and wolf eco-tourism.
A Call for Abstracts will be announced.
An exciting, pre-conference, optional charter tour will be offered to Churchill, Manitoba – the Polar Bear Capital of the World - during polar bear migration season.
This is an Advance Notice of the Conference. Full details, Registration Forms, Call for papers, Travel information, website info, etc. will be available by late January. Due to logistics, there will be a LIMIT of only 100 attendees.
Please mark the dates on your calender and budget. Stay tuned and we will provide more information soon.
Contact us through wolfconf@yahoo.com with questions or to get on our email list. We respect your privacy and will not give or sell your address to anyone else!
PRINT LEAFLET:
Wolf Conf Leaflet2b Lo
In April 2011, Thompson City Council directed the Thompson Zoo Society to formulate a new plan for the current zoo that was established in the 1960s. After many months of surveys, polling, and analysis, the concept of a Boreal Discovery Centre emerged and was presented to Council for approval. The Boreal Discovery Centre builds on Thompson’s strategic direction as the “Hub of the North” by developing the theme of the Centre as a place where people meet, learn and celebrate the communities of the boreal wetlands, skies, and the forest.
Development of this Centre addresses areas in the Master Parks Plan concerned with developed recreational space, infill development, local biodiversity and Type C accessibility.
In the development of all exhibits of the Centre, input from Nisichawayasihk Cree will be pursued, as well, the significant aspects in local traditional culture relating to the exhibits will only be developed with permissions and guidance from First Nations themselves.
The heart of the Boreal DISCOVERY Centre is a unique one story, 3,000 sq ftinterpretative centre located over the existing man-made wetlands. This structure alone will be worth a visit in itself; the result of state of the art sustainable building technology.
The interior or the facility will house exhibits showcasing, in an experiential fashion, the unique adaptations found in the Boreal wetlands, skies (focus on birds of prey), forest (Predator Zone focusing on Timber Wolves and the Prey Arena focusing on Moose/Caribou) and human communities. Exterior habitat exhibits will complement and abut those in the interpretative centre. The largest exterior exhibit area will be Human Connections – What is Possible. Here human adaptations including traditional and emergent green technologies, living lightly and sustainably will be showcased. All exhibits will be accessible year-round to encourage continued attendance.
This vision has the support and endorsement of Spirit Way Inc., and consensus has been reached in an agreement in principle. The Spirit Way wolf enclosure is the Boreal Forest Community – Predator exhibit. Fund-raising efforts for, and development of, this exhibit by Spirit Way Inc. are intact and on track. Subject to the approval of the new Board, the wolf enclosure would be Phase 1 of a multi-year development. A top notch wolf enclosure is essential for Thompson to continue to promote itself as the “Wolf Capital of Canada”.
The financial basis for the Boreal Discovery Centre is a balance of government and corporate funding with self earned revenue through memberships, programming, workshops, admissions, and guest services. The cost to the City and taxpayers is actually reduced with this new model of operations.
The current Thompson Zoological Society will dissolve and a new corporate entity will be created; the Boreal Discovery Centre, Inc. A foundation will also be created to support the operations and capital expenses of the Centre.
When fully operational, twelve positions consisting of full-time, part time and summer student will form the staffing complement of the Centre.
Fort Whyte Alive in Winnipeg, Manitoba has indicated their support in the development of the centre, as well as a willingness to work together in developing programming and the possibility of evolving into a “sister centre” in the north. Other strategic partnerships include the City of Thompson, TNRC, Thompson Unlimited, UCN, Food Matters Manitoba and other educational institutions.,
The Boreal Discovery Centre, a community legacy project, will be an important asset to the City of Thompson. It will provide the opportunity and the facilities for residents to experience and foster connection to the communities of the magnificent boreal region in which we live. It will provide meaningful, safe and family-oriented programming creating awareness and respect for the non-human communities we share the land with. And it will showcase ways in which we can live sustainably, creatively and lightly now and in the future.
For more information and a visual representation, visit the Boreal Discovery Centre at http://borealdiscoverycentre.blogspot.com. For further news on Wolf Capital initiatives, visit www.thompsonspiritway.ca
SEPTEMBER BLOG
As part of developing Thompson as the Wolf Capital of Canada, Erin McCloskey was invited to Thompson in August with the help of Spirit Way Inc., Calm Air, and Lone Pine Publishing. McCloskey has just authored and released a new book, Wolves in Canada, which provides a scientific, biological, political, and management history of wolves in this country.
Erin McCloskey has a degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Alberta, Canada, and has worked with several environmental and wildlife conservation organisations as well as in publishing. She is a travel journalist, an editor, and has authored several natural history books for Lone Pine Publishing, as well as books for various publishers, including a series of international voluntourism guides and large format books on Canada, Italy and Hawaii. Erin was the North American Manager with Biosphere Expeditions (BE) of the United Kingdom on international research expeditions studying endangered species. McCloskey currently resides in New Zealand, where she works in the ecotourism industry and continues to work with BE in a free lance capacity.
During her Thompson visit, McCloskey made a presentation to the Chamber of Commerce about her work around the world with Biosphere Expeditions which is a scientific and tourism organization. They undertake interesting science research projects with wildlife and invite tourists from afar to be the scientist’s assistants to gather information. The expeditions may last several years and the helpers come for one and two week slots. Currently Spirit Way Inc. is leading the way with a proposal to Biosphere Expeditions to launch a polar bear-wolf-climate-change research project in northern Manitoba in 2013. Manitoba Conservation and University College of the North are collaborating on the project. Many considerations must be addressed and dealt with to finalize the wolf research project, but the implications for Thompson are significant. Working with BE will attract many people from around the world. It will draw media attention as BE has received numerous awards and much press coverage by various publications including National Geographic. BE is currently looking for a North American project. The untold packs of wolves of northern Manitoba have a great deal of appeal for a scientific research organization.
McCloskey mentioned in her Chamber presentation that Thompson is uniquely positioned as it is surrounded by huge areas of pristine wilderness that hold thousands of wolves. This top predator can be a field of research for universities, researchers, and the University College of the North in Thompson. How do wolves interact with their prey – moose, caribou and even polar bears? Northern Manitoba is wilderness Canada at its finest. As more roads open in the north, and hydro dams and electrical transmission corridors are built, the prey-predator dynamics will change. Wolves tend to use these corridors as super highways which gives them an advantage over their traditional large ungulate prey. Manitoba needs to implement carefully studied and best practised management policies on big game animals. If that were done, Manitoba could become a world leader in wolf management policies and attract many international visitors. Wolves must be recognized as an ecological and economic asset.
McCloskey and Spirit Way Inc. Board members met with members of University College of the North, and Manitoba Conservation. She also visited the Thompson Zoo and spoke to Erin Wilcox, the Zoo Director. McCloskey suggested focusing on “native species” could open a niche and develop a brand for the facility in the future that would be less “zoo” and more a conservation and education centre. McCloskey said she was impressed by how “beautiful” Thompson is and how active and progressive Spirit Way Inc. is with their wolf initiatives. McCloskey was looking forward to a return visit once Biosphere Expedition’s international wolf research project commences. Numerous ideas and suggestions were exchanged to continue the dialog and both parties are looking forward to a long term relationship.
