LOCALadk Magazine

47 Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Nestled at the end of a road in the woods of Wilmington, a town known as home to Whiteface Mountain, lies a 50 acre wildlife refuge and wildlife rehabilitation center. From wolves to birds of prey, many animals have found a home at the refuge. Most are recovering from an injury, others are there for educational purposes. Founded by Wendy and Steve Hall, the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge represents their shared long time passion which became a reality. Their son Alex grew up with the Wildlife Ref- uge as his home, and the animals- especially the wolves- have be- come Alex's family. Refuge Foundations and Establishment Steve and Wendy have spent over 40 years rehabilitating injured wildlife. Growing up in New York City just a mile apart but never knowing it, this husband and wife duo has always had an inter- est in nature. When given the opportunity to pick activities as children, they would ask to go to the Museum of Natural History or the Bronx Zoo. Their shared passion for wildlife has been a constant in their lives since they met. Before moving to the Ad- irondacks, the couple lived downstate. Steve worked as a public speaker for a communications company, and Wendy was a nurse and ambulance lieutenant. Their former careers have played a tremendous role in the success of the refuge. rehabilitation receive it, the impact on nature is small. However, one of the benefits achieved by wildlife rehabilitation is from the visitors to the refuge. As visitors walk around the property and interact with the animals, they become more interested and en- gaged. As a result, visitors often learn how nature works, show- ing curiosity about the animals and their role in the ecosystem. The animals at the refuge are often predators that have a fatal flaw and most often cannot be released back into the wild. While an enclosure will never duplicate the animal's natural habitat, they will never miss a meal, and their lifespans will double or even triple! Wendy also has a different way of rehabilitating an- imals – for some wildlife centers it's all about having top- of- the- line, state- of- the- art enclosures. At the Adirondack Wildlife Ref- uge, the philosophy is that it's all about wilderness. Animals have the ability to heal in ways that humans can only imagine, and the more Wendy works with animals and gains an understanding of them, the more she begins to see life through their eyes, and not human eyes – a trait that she has passed on to Alex. The human vs. animal versions of life are very different from one another, and Wendy has learned how to provide the animals with as much of their own ideal habitat as possible, mimicking what would be found in nature. From eagles to snowy owls, and bobcats to foxes, the refuge gives visitors a peek into the true existence of these animals, and it sparks their curiosity. In the early 90s, Steve and Wendy spent a summer in Alaska where they adopted their first wolf hybrid and, perhaps un- aware, set themselves up for the next chapter of their lives. In 2000, the couple bought a home in the Adirondacks, intended to be their retirement home. Not long after September 11, Steve and Wendy decided to restart their lives and relocate their family to the Adirondacks. Steve became a real estate broker, and Wendy continued to work with injured wildlife. As the wildlife rehab work grew, Wendy asked Steve to build more enclosures for the animals. When the wolf that they had brought home from Alaska died, Steve and Wendy added another 3⁄4 wolf hybrid to their family. Neighbors and friends visiting the house realized what a cool thing Steve and Wendy were doing, and encouraged them to open to the public. About six years ago, the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge be- came an official non profit organization. With Steve managing the education and communication aspect of the business, and Wendy taking charge of the rehab, the refuge became an import- ant feature of Wilmington. The role of the Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center is multifaceted, but its two main purposes are rehabilitation and education. Con- sidering that only a fraction of the animals that could truly use Wolves: Cornerstones for Education The Halls' passion for the wolf species intensified when they brought home their first wolf from Alaska. The more time they spent with their wolf hybrid, the more the Halls realized they could impact people's understanding of wolves in their natural context. After the death of their first wolf, the Adirondack Wild- life Refuge continues to be the home to three wolves – another 3⁄4 wolf hybrid, Cree, and two full Great Plains wolves, Kiska and Zeebie. Unlike the other animals living at the wildlife refuge, the wolves are not there for rehabilitation. They came from an or- ganization that raises large animals in captivity for Hollywood, nature centers, documentaries, etc. As a result, they could not be released to the wild. These wolves are part of an educational program that helps educate visitors about the wolf's role in the ecosystem. With over a half acre enclosure to roam about, and 1 2 mile daily walks through the woods to inspect their territories, the wolves give visitors a peek into their interactions with nature. In the wild, wolves are keystone predators: animals that have exaggerated impacts on their environment. Wolves do two main things: con- trol their prey populations and control their competitors. Nikko

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