Namaste' all , wow I always seem to be a zillion steps behind you all in blogging, and have once more a ton of blogs to catch up to in reading I see as well. You all must have wonder typing hands he he ;0) In the meantime, here is press release written by a friend of mine who came out here easter long when a teen came out to spend 4 days. It was so sweet of him.
April 14th, 2008
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan March 22nd, 2008 –The sun is just starting to rise within a pristine forest setting, at A Wolf Adventure; a wolf interpretive center, in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. A hauntingly primal song, suddenly pierces the silence. One is left with a spine tingling sensation that feels too sacred for words.
A young Métis girl is a modern day little red riding hood of the teenage kind, only hold the big bad wolf please. Mandy Lafond has walked, howled, kissed and experienced a long term friendship with some pure wolves, in a way many people her age can only dream of. For Mandy a 15 year old, grade 9 student, what started off as simply being wild about wolves as a 12 year old, has turned into a fascinating friendship that has spanned a few years now, and simply embraces the non typical variety of friends.
Legend kisses Teen
These friends have very big paws and very big teeth, but ask Mandy how she feels, and if she is scared she will be eaten like little red riding hood’s grandmother, and she will laugh and say “I don’t understand all the bad stuff said about wolves. People just don’t know them the way I do. Tibet is my favorite she is the sweetest wolf. Dharma is a beautiful wolf too, I love her eyes, and oh my god, Legend and Eco the Arctic wolves are so beautiful! I have all kinds of friends, so what is the big deal?” Mandy has spent quite a few days and nights over the years, frolicking on these wild grounds. Not your typical teen weekend away from home.
Walking on a wild side is nothing new for the director and founder of A Wolf Adventure, in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. Skylar Breton helps to unlock a natural wild wisdom within us all, while teaching the next generation about a highly misunderstood and often misaligned wild animal. Skylar was simply a girl herself of a tender 19, when a chance encounter would change her course of life forever.
When asked, Skylar gives a small smile, and quietly responds, “Even though in school I was voted most likely to become an artist, and work with wildlife. I guess I wound up combining doing all three, artistry, working with wild animals, and having youth from all different backgrounds come into my life.When I came upon a caged pet wolf at a roadside zoo as a young girl, unlicensed to take in such animals, I knew I had to do something. So, I followed proper protocol and got licensed in order to save this precious life." But working with wolves, has had it’s ups and downs according to Skylar. “I learned hard knocks 101, more than any book, or regular school could ever teach us about these animals.”
As Skylar or Mandy speak, the wolves respond, as if talking to them in kind. I sensed an unspoken communication that was going on here as well. Mandy takes queue, and blasts out a wicked howl. Skylar says, “The wolves treat Mandy as a part of the pack family, they know she is not a wolf but they accept her, and in a world where it is hard to be accepted just for who you are, who wouldn’t enjoy that kind of atmosphere?
Mandy has created a trust and bond with the animals here. They don’t care what she wears, or how she talks.”
Keep in mind; Mandy also knows how to act around them, as they still are wild animals regardless of being raised in captivity. There is still that edge, and Skylar quickly points it out to me. After a moments silence and pause Skylar suddenly states, “It’s a simple friendship, how can one argue with simple?”
But how do Mandy’s parents feel about her interacting with wolves? “I create a trust with parents I meet, I come to the table with who I am, no agenda other than the heart and soul, the desire to share my world. It’s very easy to just be, and others around you will feel that and get it. When you have a genuine desire to give without thought, and without expectation of getting anything in return, you return to an innocence of self. Mandy’s dad was super cool right off the bat.”
If you have stars in your eyes that you will make a lot of money using wild animals, skylar urges people to think again. “You may make certain decisions or make compromises, you might otherwise not make, if you get into this kind of work thinking it is a way to actually get rich, let alone make a living. This is work I do out of pure passion, and drive to educate. That is why there are so many horrible road side zoos that should be shut down through out Canada, and the world for that matter.”
For Mandy it all goes over her head at this age, all she knows is how she feels when she enters into this wild world that is situated on even wilder lands. ” I feel free.” she says.
A Wolf Adventure A Wild Insight is a Provincially licensed, wolf outreach and eco conservation center that fosters and promotes a healthy respect and appreciation of wildlife and surrounding habitat. A Wolf Adventure custom creates fun and educational programs for the K-12 school system off and on site.
Contact:
Skylar Breton (director /founder)
A Wolf Adventure;
A Wild Insight
306-922-4510
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I think Mark has enough to do a pretty good report in class now on wolves, He has a wolf paw casting I gave him, as well as some shed fur from last years shed of legend, and he took some video footage while out here. I know his grandma got some great pics of him. The shed fur is interesting to show to people. I get asked a lot about the arctic wolves white fur. Their fur at the very root base stays grey (arctic wolves are born fairly dark/greyish and phase out to the final white they are famously known for) but when it sheds out you can still see the grey downy undercoat mixed in with some white hair shafts/guard hairs, that original grey coloration stays with them all their lives. Wolves hair shafts are hollow, this aids in better insulative properties, but an arctic wolf's fur, the hair shafts have even more air pockets than pigmented hair shafts do, this helps to keep them even warmer in those frigid arctic temps. And they need all the extra help they can, living such a hard life in the wild.
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