Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center

Destroying Wolves will not only wipe out the Wolf Species, it also destroys all other species that depend on wolves for their survival. Plant and Animal species will suffer!

This is Secu,We lost Secu in 2009 to a rattlesnake bite in the face. She will be forever missed.

WOLF GARDENS WILDLIFE CENTER is a program of the First Nations Outreach Project (FNOP), a Native American 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. Wolf Gardens provides the opportunity to fulfill several of the FNOP’s Mission Goals.

1. Wildlife Conservation & Care

Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center is home to 62 captive-bred wolves and wolf/dogs rescued through private individuals, over the last 14 years. Our efforts will be focused on restoring and protecting various indigenous wildlife, native to our region, to occupy Wolf Gardens.

2. Environmental Conservation

Renewed efforts to preserve and replant important indigenous plants, such as native hardwoods and flora, is an integral part of our focus and efforts.

3. Habitat Conservation and Restoration

Our focus will be to provide a natural habitat to promote the health and well being of the wildlife who call Wolf Gardens home.

4. Wildlife and Nature Education

Misconceptions abound regarding Wildlife and Nature. It is our challenge to inform people with facts, not hearsay, rumors, misconceptions and misinformation. Only through education can common ground be attained. Sharing our experiences is integral to this effort

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5. Conservation Education

Our purpose, again, is to educate with facts regarding the basic fundamentals of conservation and preservation of our environment, both as relates to wildlife as well as nature. A political or philosophical agenda is not appropriate for our mission. Information will be.

6. Community Awareness

“If I had only known.” is an excuse, not a reason. We will make every effort to raise the awareness for our cause and mission to create a bond between us and our area residents, so we can all work together for a better community.

7. Community Economic Development

An integral part of our mission is to seek means to provide economic opportunities to our community through Cultural, Wildlife and Nature Based Tourism and related areas..

8. Community Involvement and Motivation

Involvement through volunteerism builds character. Motivation, while internal, is manifest when purpose justifies the effort. It is our task to provide the opportunities which define the purposes for which motivation comes naturally. Through tourism, we can expand our horizons. Therefore, tourism is inherent in our mission as a focus, to provide the environment conducive to attracting tourists. We believe a unique experience, such as we offer, must be foremost in our efforts to fulfill expectations and give reason to visit our preserve.

The development of Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center will allow us to open our preserve to the public, expand to full wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and education and develop wildlife and nature based tourism in our rural community. Thus, WGWC becomes the vehicle to enable tourism, while providing a wildlife and nature preserve to enhance the area’s assets, instilling pride within the community.

CHALLENGES

The 27 acre Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center is located in Clay County, Alabama, a rural area with thousands of acres of forest land. Almost half the county is in the Talladega National Forest. The closest wildlife rehab center is over one hundred miles away. Many of the endangered or vulnerable species in our county are left to fend for themselves, especially if injured, simply due to the lack of local resources.

Moreover, most of the timber land in our area is also the product of Sustainable Pine Tree Farming for over 90 years. The once indigenous Hardwood Canopy Forest that dominated our lands and thrived for hundreds of years is all but destroyed in the process.

If we, in even a small part, demonstrate to those in our community that it is possible through wildlife and nature based tourism to develop businesses at least equal in economic impact to logging and clear cutting, perhaps we can help restore a goodly portion of the Hardwood Canopy and the wildlife such forestation supports.

Providing a curriculum for the General Public, particularly within the local community, of interactive educational programs and information on programs available to private land owners to help preserve habitat and wildlife, is a goal to which we strive, to extend protections not only to the wildlife in our care but throughout our community as well.

Our greatest challenge is to provide and sustain the facilities to support our efforts and establish the infrastructure to fulfill our programs. The First Step in this process is to construct a perimeter fence and enclosures for all animals currently residing with us. Once that phase is completed, all the animals will be moved into their new quarters, allowing us to move into Phase Two.

Phase Two proposes construction of the Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center facility, housing an on-site Vet Center, staffed by a full time Zoo Vet , and Visitor’s Center to support our instructional and tourism efforts. Our Zoo Vet, along with our Wildlife Biologist, Head Keeper, Handler and other staff members, guest instructors and volunteers will present our educational programs. Informational materials and a gift shop, along with rest rooms and refreshment area, will be an integral part of the Visitor’s Center within the facility. The Center’s offices may also be housed within the facilities.

The monetary considerations to fulfill these essential, integral goals and objectives is significant. Our current efforts, therefore, are concentrated on fund raising , including grant searches and applications, public funding and gift center sales. Once in place, we believe the Center can be sustained through tourism, our instructional programs and operations of the facilities. Various events will be initiated to supplement our programs, such as the Annual Pow-Wow already in its second year. More programs and support means will be developed as the facilities implementation progresses.

We invite you to visit our Events Page and Online Store and click on our Donate buttons wherever they appear throughout our website. Thank you for your interest by visiting our website. Together, we can accomplish great things for our Wildlife and Habitat, which we hold dear to our hearts.

THE VIEW AHEAD

Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center was not predestined. It was an outgrowth of our involvement in rescue and discovery regarding their habitat needs. As we explored our environment, many revelations, such as the depletion of our Hardwood Canopy, emerged. We became more aware, and therefore more sensitive, to the needs to preserve and restore our indigenous habitat. We developed a vision through this process, over a number of years, resulting in our plan for Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center.

As we seek to fully develop our preserve, our sustainability must be an integral consideration. Through Wildlife and Nature Based Tourism, Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center will be able to generate funds through Public Donation, which will subsidize expansions to the Wildlife Center, can also allow us to develop other portions of our

Community Development Programs.

It will also help us to acquire more habitat to expand our protection areas and develop habitat management and development programs that will be open to the public. Through our inclusive educational programs will enable us to expand protected habitat areas even to private landowners in our community, through a networking coalition of habitat protection zones throughout our county and connecting counties in the state.

Through the abilities of rescuing and rehabilitating local wildlife, we will be able to bring community members into our program, exposing them to first hand knowledge of the process, helping to increase their concern and love for nature and our indigenous wildlife. This experience will raise awareness and, thereby, respect for our natural habitat and environment.

Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center has the real potential to rescue not only the animals that we will be able to save and care for, but local habitat and even boost our very poor rural economy. By teaching others how to develop private business that will attract Wildlife and Green environmentally conscious tourists, we can restore, preserve and protect our rural beauty and wildlife from predatory industrialization, while helping our local economy at the same time.

We are where we are today through more determination than funding. Our plans are aggressive, calling for aggressive funding efforts. Facilities plans and a Five Year Business Plan is currently under development and will be posted on this website as soon as completed. We call upon all those who share our concern for our environment, habitat and wildlife to assist us in this quest by volunteering and/donating to our cause.

TOGETHER, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS, TO ENLIGHTEN AND BETTER OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD!

All donations, whether monetary, materials, labor or time and expenses are tax deductible, depending upon your situation. Consult your tax attorney to determine your qualifications.