49 Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine
LOCALadk
Learning from the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge
Along with the wolves representing apex predators, the other species at the refuge are indicator species: those that represent the
health of the environment and show us, as humans, how well we are working as stewards. While there are many keystone predators
in the wild, humans are the ultimate keystone predator. Our actions are making it difficult for the rest of the predators in the world
to do their jobs effectively. Humans inevitably tend to introduce imbalance into ecosystems, so for the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge
there is a heavy emphasis on educating visitors on what makes a healthy ecosystem, what the function of an indicator species is, and
understanding how the human impact on the environment can Society's perception of the inner workings of nature is often skewed
by the way that it is portrayed in movies and various media channels. If there is one major takeaway from learning about the rela-
tionship that Alex has with the wolves, and from the way Steve and Wendy maintain the refuge, it's that there is incredible value in
getting to know a creature beyond the typical human/animal bond. From human impact to their roles in nature, once we start to see
things from the perspective of an animal, that is when we can really begin to act as stewards of the land.
Kiska
LOCALadk is donating to the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge as part of our "Keeping It LOCAL" cam-
paign, and so can you! To support the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge simply visit
www.adirondackwildlife.net/index.html
