Behavior Intensive Weekend

Behavior Intensive Weekend

This three day seminar provides those interested in wolf behavior with an opportunity to see more activity in three days than they might see in three weeks during the summer.  Wolves are by nature most active during their breeding season, displaying lots of howling, aggression, and of course breeding behaviors.

The seminar will begin Friday at 9am with an introduction to Wolf Park, followed by talks on Ethology, wolf biology and ecology, and a look through the Ethogram.  Observation time will occur each morning and afternoon,  when participants will be in the Observation Building watching the wolves of the main pack with Pat Goodmann there to narrate what is going on.  Talks on vocalization, courtship, locomotion, agonistic and predatory behaviors will be given through the three days.  There will also be a talk about the comparison of wild and captive wolf behaviors.

Days will be long, with observations beginning at 7:30 am, and activities running into the evening on Friday and Saturday.  Due to the expectation of poor weather, we will plan to have most sessions indoors.  At Wolf Park we carry on an extensive wolf watch during our breeding season, so seminar participants can experience the joys of watching wolves in sub-zero weather at 3 am– if they would like to see what wildlife research is really like.  Interns and volunteers, as well as staff members, take turns doing 3 hour shifts watching the wolves and recording their behaviors.

That time of year participants can expect cold days, long nights, maybe some snow, wolves doing "physics lessons" involving momentum and centrifugal force on a frozen pond, wolves courting, wolves howling, wolves threatening each other, and wolves doing more of everything except resting.  

Accurate identification of wolves and  behaviors will be emphasized as well as how to record it.   Actual wolf observation will be supplemented with videos of wolves interacting, to help teach observational skills.

Due to the elevated aggression levels, participants will get little opportunity to interact with the wolves during this seminar, but will definitely meet the foxes.  Wolf time will be offered if it can be done safely.

The seminar will wrap up Sunday at 4pm, with an optional observation session from 4-6 pm.

Cost includes--
3 days of instruction
dinner on Friday
3 lunches
snacks and beverages through the day
continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
One year single membership to Wolf Park.
Does NOT include accommodations.  Usually rooms are available for about $50 per night at the Super 8 Motel which is about 10 minutes from here.

CANCELLATION POLICY
Wolf Park reserves the right to cancel a seminar if there are fewer than 5 participants registered as of 30 days before the start of the seminar.  In the case of cancellation, we will refund registration fees in full, or the participant can choose to transfer into a different seminar.