Located in the south west of England, the United Kingdom Wolf Conservation Trust's "Wolf Centre" is a non-profit education and advocacy center dedicated to reintroducing wolves into protected areas to return ecological balance to the British Isles. The history, mission, and location of the Wolf Centre are all significant to understanding the importance of its mission.
Geography
Located in Berkshire county (sometimes abbreviated "Berks"), the Wolf Centre is located near Reading, where the Thames and the Kennet rivers meet. Reading is one of England's largest cities and serves as Berkshire's county town (sometimes called the county "seat"). The Wolf Centre is located on Butler's Farm, close to the small suburb of Beenham. Reading can be reached along the M4 motorway between Swindon and London.
Significance
The Wolf Centre's conservation efforts include three large enclosures where wolves are allowed to roam, but are protected from the local populace and the hazards of modern British life, such as automobiles. Inspired by the American Wolf Park's success, Roger Palmer established the United Kingdom Wolf Conservation Trust in 1995 in an effort to promote conservation through education. Palmer himself kept wolves until his death, at which point the 9 wolves passed into the care of the Wolf Centre.
Features
Part of the education program of the Wolf Centre is sending out what it calls "wolf ambassadors" to the general public. These wolves are semi-tame and socialized enough to not be frightened around humans. Walks with the wolves and sponsorships of the wolves are offered for a fee which goes to support the care and feeding of the 9 wolves at the center. Additionally, the Wolf Centre's education officer schedules events and activities to educate the general public to the role of wolves and the value of their conservation.
Considerations
As a non-profit organization, the Wolf Centre is completely reliant upon donations to it or to its parent organization. The majority of these donations are from fees collected for education seminars, sponsorships of the wolves, and private donations to the center. Membership fees also contribute to the support of the center, and members are entitled to a range of benefits such as free admission to the Wolf Centre, photographs of the wolves, and newsletters. Several tiers of membership are offered at the Wolf Centre (see Resources, below).
Benefits
In addition to educating citizens of the United Kingdom, the UK Wolf Conservation Trust also partners with European conservation teams and organizations to educate Europeans on the importance of the European wolf. In the 18th century, wolves were hunted to extinction on the British Isles, but in 1998, the UK Wolf Center hosted European Wolves captured in Croatia and Bulgaria which went on to give birth to a litter of 6 pups in 1999. Since then, several more litters of pups have been born on British soil. Also, the UK Wolf Conservation Trust is working to protect wild wolves from humans in more traditional ways, such as the purchasing of guardian dogs to protect Bulgarian flocks from wolves in lieu of killing wild wolves in that country.
Tags: Wolf Centre, Conservation Trust, Wolf Conservation, Wolf Conservation Trust, Kingdom Wolf, Kingdom Wolf Conservation, United Kingdom