Let's talk about wolf perception

The wolf. An animal that is the icon of wilderness. A symbol of defiance and dominance. We often use phrases such as alpha male, wolf pack and the sort. Our connection to wolves is a strange one indeed. Some people love them, some fear them and some indeed despite them. It's an animal that stands for pretty much anything you want it to be. Its imagery has been associated with anything from Native Americans to hippies to Nazis and everything in between. A wolf is truly an animal that can be whatever you want it to be. It's got traits that we as humans want and seek and so we seek to identify with it in certain situations. It's a pity that most of the things that people assume about wolves are simply not true. Let's break some of them down shall we?

1)Alphas do whatever they do and are dominant over all the others in the pack: 

Let's get it straight. No such thing as an alpha male or female. There is a breeding pair that happen to also be the most dominant at most times but this is due to seniority. Not only that but the breeding pair doesn't always call all the shots. They are experienced leaders which allow the younger wolves to lead the hunt.  Wolves don't work with a strict hierarchy. It's not a pissing contest between them. Wolves work together in a pack in order to survive. So there is no dominion over all. Merely the breeding pair calling the shots due to experience. 

2)Wolves aren't independent:

The entire idea of an independent wolf clearly works against what the wolf truly is. Wolves rely on each other to survive. Wolves hunt together, fight together and live together. More often than not some will leave one pack but only to form their own or join another. The wolf as a symbol of independence is vastly mislead.

3) The wolf as a part of supremacy:

First of all wolves don't keep bloodlines pure. Lets get that out there. Quotes along the lines of " Wolves stick with their own" are just supremacist propaganda.The black coat on the wolves is evidence of interbreeding with dogs(they got the black coat from dogs) and the wolfdog hybrids as well as wolf coyote hybrids are pure evidence that wolves do not keep their bloodline pure. Just like all animals they will mate when given the opportunity.

4)The wolf as a savage fighter:

Again this here is a major issue. Wolves don't do well alone. They fight and they are pretty tough but the wolf's strength is in their pack. Not really on their own. Wolves can be killed by bears, mountain lions or other wolves. Hell even golden eagles can kill them. So if you as a human want to be identified as fierce fighter choose a bear. Hell choose a wolverine. Those little things are badass.

What can you do for Earth Day?

Today is Earth Day. It's a day to celebrate Earth in all of it's glory. Despite how small the world seems it can be so amazing and beautiful. I got a wake up call when I visited Yosemite National Park and was blown away by the vast beauty of it all.  So today in order to honor Earth in all her glory here are a few things you can do:

1) Take a hike: Organize a hike with some friends or alone. It doesn't have to be far away or in a popular destination. Take a walk in your local forest, local water feature, cliff, foothills etc. Despite where you live there is always some nature around. If you can't make it out of town, visit a park. Take a second to appreciate where you are and how Earth made this possible. Breathe in the scenery and understand the magnitude of it.

2) Wildlife Party: Take a minute to learn about your local wildlife, Most places harbor some sort of wildlife. Take a minute to learn about what kind of wildlife there is around you. You may be surprised by how cool some of your local critters can be. You may even be surprised to learn that there are some species around that you didn't think were around.

3) View the world: Browse the internet and find pictures of different landscapes across the world. Take a minute to understand how that landscape is different or similar to yours. It will help you understand how diverse Earth truly is and how wonderful it is.

4) Help around: Find local groups that organize cleaning of parks or beaches and help them out. Volunteer to teach people about their local habitats and wildlife. Community outreach may seem boring in comparison to fieldwork but it is still very important to help Earth.

5)Find out ways to make a difference: Learn a little more about local recycling, local initiatives for conservation or energy saving. Any small difference you can make will be to the benefit of the planet in total.

Enjoy Earth day and make sure you spend it with friends and family.

Where have I been?

It's been a good couple of months since I posted on this blog. I assure you my love for nature has not changed but I've been pretty busy. Let me give you a rundown of what I've been up to.

1)Masters: I finally got accepted at a masters program and I am studying at California State University, Fresno. My research includes urban predators and how they are adapting.

2)I've started raising guide dog puppies. It's a great experience so far.

Okay now that those are out of the way let's talk about the future of this blog. It's been inactive for a while now. I aim to resurrect it with new content but I have also decided that I would like to have other authors cowrite.So if anyone is interested then please get in contact with me and we can work out the details.

Otherwise I aim to update content at least once a week with maybe species of the week making a return.

Thanks for being here and reading this.

Pete