Wolf In Our Midst

wolf drawing by Nanda Currant

Wolf 93 is just 88 miles from where we live. He is now in farm land in San Benito County where there are deer and feral pigs but also ranch land. He is on the news and I hope the attention protects him. It is important we let our governor know we see the wolf and want him safe.

This wolf has traveled a great distance to enter California and to find a mate. He has crossed a major highway demonstrating once again we need corridors to assure the migratory routes for wolves just like we need for birds to move safely each season and find places to feed and survive.

Right now, the good news is the fact is we have a wolf in our midst.

At this time in other states the story of wolf has been tragic in the news with needless killing in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Wisconsin. The laws for trapping are lax and cruel, and small interest groups hold a large presence that influence our agencies in the killing of wolves, wolf pups and packs that are trying to create a legacy of recovery.

We need now more than ever to contact these states, including our own state of California to let them know how important wolves are to our environment and future.

I depend on the Center for Biological Diversity for good information but there are many organizations who support species wisdom and recovery. I write letters to the editor of articles I read or movies that refer to wolves, and to legislators. I write in a manner that is not insulting them but telling them what matters to me and why.

Please do the same.

The Wolf Project continues to sell art to raise funds for protection and recovery. As an artist I continue to be fascinated with them. So much great work out there and proud to say 3,300 wildlife photographers signed a petition to protect wolves in these states. Some of them have been part of the art shows we have done to help wolves. Art saves lives.

“The Central Coast can now call itself home to a Gray Wolf at least for now. Wandering wolf OR-93 crossed into San Benito County over the weekend after traversing the Central Valley and crossing Interstate 5 in what wolf biologists are calling a remarkable journey.” KSBW News 3/29/2021. Read the full story…

artwork ©2021 by Nanda Currant

End of year update

Our virtual campaign since October has raised another $600 for wolves from our virtual art show and donations. 

You can buy art for the holidays from our virtual show or make an offer for something you like. There is also a video link with a film that includes all the artists in our campaign. Please contact me for further information on work that interests you or to learn more about the artist.

Our funds continue to support the litigation work at CBD (Center for Biological Diversity) and educational outreach at LWW (Living with Wolves) needed to put the wolves back on the endangered species list so they have federal protection and not state management. 

Hunting season begins in January. Presently in Idaho hunters and US Department of Agriculture are killing defenseless pups at their dens. Records at the Department of Fish and Game show that this past spring at least, twenty-two wolf pups between 2 and 11 weeks old, were killed. The story is tragic and inhumane.

 “Known to be particularly brutal in the way Idaho manages its wolves, Idaho is an alarming illustration of what other states could do now that wolves are delisted. In a twelve month period 2019–2020, 573 wolves were killed in Idaho. The state’s wolf population was estimated at about 1,000 animals at the end of 2019. This is a staggering percentage of the total population.”

We need to secure better protection for wildlife, and negotiate non-lethal means. We are rapidly moving away from a sustainable planet for ourselves by treating nature as our commodity.

The Good news is Colorado passed a bill to reintroduce wolves to their state by a narrow margin but a victory on behalf of wolves and hopefully a more favorable administration this January will build a trend in a more healing direction.

Artwork : Save a Wolf by Caia Koopman

Virtual First Friday on Instagram

The next Event  For Wolves and our Wildlife Refuges is Friday, May 8 at 7pm, for our virtual show ‘Wolves in the Midst.’ We go virtual on Instagram at @firstfridaysantacruz and #virtualfirstfridaysc .

There is a recent plan to to open wild life refuges for hunting after the pandemic has eased. Bernhardt, the Secretary of the Interior said opening up more national wildlife refuges so that hunters can go after wolves, bears, mountain  lions, bighorn sheep, birds and even alligators would give people something to look forward to when the pandemic passes. 

Wolves in Washington State only increased 11% and yet the whole Profanity Pack was shot and killed. We are not providing adequate recovery for wolves.  We are in this pandemic because of the impact on the environment and the destruction of our keystone species who  are needed to create a healthy environment.

In Alaska the wolves the Tongass National Forest may have almost been wiped out. In the most recent trapping season at least 165 wolves were killed out of a population estimated at 170. This attack on wildlife cannot stand—these wolves need to be protected.

We cannot let this happen in the background and watch the Endangered Species Act be dismantled.

Enjoy the art, and learn more about work being done to protect and bring more to life not less. 

Please join us and log in to Instagram on Friday, May 8th, 7pm at @firstfridaysantacruz

Artwork of three wolves by Nanda Currant
Last Run by Nanda Currant

Update for Wolves in Our Midst

By Tim Fitzharris


Spring is nearly here, and the wolves need our help more than ever. They have young to protect so they can flourish.

Our focus is on elections but in the background groups are working hard to support bills in congress to help wolves, such as building a corridor for wildlife in Colorado, and a lawsuit  by NRDC, CBD that stops the destruction of years of work to care for Endangered Species Act and protect its content. Trump plans to open up hunting of wolves this month and lower the protections by watering down and amending the Endangered Species Act.

The Wolf Fund intends to put on a show in the Aptos, California for wolf protection and to continue to address the extinction crisis in front of us.

Winter has been hard, but new pups have been born in Yellowstone, and Northern California pups are growing.

Artists that want to join in to our efforts should get in touch with this site about sharing their professional efforts to depict wolves in any medium. Email hearth@cruzio.com

(Photo by Tim Fitzharris at Art.com)

Our September Show was a Success!

September at the The Santa Cruz Food Lounge has been a successful and rewarding experience. A wonderful opening with live painting by Elijah, music by Lorna, Yellowstone stories of wolves by Mark, hostess and help from Janice and Patrice and great food from My Mom’s Mole and beverages served by Sally and Andrea and a den for the wolves.

We raised significant funds for the wolf fund distributed to organizations doing important work for wolf protection and to safeguard the ESA and met hundreds of people in the course of the month dialoguing and sharing stories of legendary wolves.

We still have work for sale you can view in the vimeo video or contact Nanda at hearth@cruzio.com. We would like to put up a large 4’x4′ oil painting ‘Looking Closer’ by Robert Hines during the weeks to come with information about how to help wolves and our environment. Bring a wolf home for the holidays.

Painting by Robert Hines
Looking Closer by Robert Hines