Wolf Conservation Center
“Protect and preserve wolves through education and advocacy.”
27 years on the ground, 5 comments to the agencies.
The work
What they do
Wolf breeding, education, and advocacy. Works on federal wolf recovery programs on national forest and park lands.
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Wild Release
$1.9M, 64% of spendingEndangered wolf recoverythe WCC continues to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the critically endangered red wolves and endangered mexican gray wolves entrusted to its care.
Read it as they filed it
WILD RELEASE - ENDANGERED WOLF RECOVERYTHE WCC CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED RED WOLVES AND ENDANGERED MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES ENTRUSTED TO ITS CARE. AND WHILE MOST WOLVES BORN IN CAPTIVITY SPEND THEIR LIVES THERE, 12 MEXICAN GRAY WOLF PUPS BORN AT THE WOLF CONSERVATION CENTER HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN THE WILD IN THEIR ANCESTRAL RANGE. MOST RECENTLY, FIVE PUPS BORN IN 2024 WERE FOSTERED INTO WILD MEXICAN GRAY WOLF DENS IN NEW MEXICO.AT JUST UNDER 14 DAYS OLD, THE PUPS WERE FLOWN TO NEW MEXICO AND SUCCESSFULLY PLACED IN A WILD DEN THROUGH A PROCESS KNOWN AS "PUP-FOSTERING." PUP-FOSTERING IS A COORDINATED EFFORT BETWEEN THE MEXICAN GRAY WOLF INTERAGENCY FIELD TEAM (IFT) AND THE MEXICAN WOLF SAVING ANIMALS FROM EXTINCTION PROGRAM AND IS A TECHNIQUE EMPLOYED TO ENHANCE THE GENETIC HEALTH OF THE WILD GENE POOL OF MEXICAN WOLVES. CAPTIVE-BORN PUPS ARE INTRODUCED INTO A SIMILAR-AGED WILD LITTER SO THE PUPS CAN GROW UP AS WILD WOLVES AND AID IN THE RECOVERY OF THEIR ENDANGERED SPECIES.ACCORDING TO U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES WITHIN THE WILD POPULATION ARE AS RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER AS FULL SIBLINGS. THIS PUP-FOSTER RECOVERY TECHNIQUE PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO AUGMENT THE POPULATION'S GENETICS WITH THE HOPE THE PUPS WILL EVENTUALLY SPREAD THEIR GENES TO THE GREATER POPULATION.THE WCC HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PARTNER IN THE MEXICAN GRAY WOLF RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES. THE GOAL OF THE RECOVERY PLAN IS TO RESTORE MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES TO A PORTION OF THEIR ANCESTRAL RANGE IN THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES AND MEXICO. TO DATE, THREE ADULT MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES FROM THE CENTER HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN THE WILD AND 12 PUPS HAVE BEEN FOSTERED. WCC RESEARCH LAB ESTABLISHED IN 2021, THE INTEGRATIVE ECOLOGY AND COEXISTENCE LAB FOCUSES ON THE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF MAMMALIAN CARNIVORES.A STRATEGIC GOAL FOR THE WCC RESEARCH LAB IS TO GROW INTO A HUB FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH ON THE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON WOLVES AND COYOTES. BECAUSE THESE AREAS HAVE APPLIED RELEVANCE, THEY ARE WELL-SUITED FOR INFLUENCING CONSERVATION POLICIES, ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN ADVOCACY, AND ADVANCING WCC'S MISSION.THE DIRECTIONS FOR THE RESEARCH AT WCC INVOLVES BUILDING OFF ONGOING PROJECTS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE DISTRIBUTION, ECOLOGY, AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF RED WOLVES, COYOTES, AND RED WOLF-COYOTE HYBRID POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AS WELL AS ESTABLISHING RESEARCH IN THE MID-ATLANTIC TO ASSIST IN ADDRESSING PRESSING CONSERVATION NEEDS IN THE REGION.ONGOING PROJECTS: GULF COAST CANINE PROJECT: THIS IS A LARGE-SCALE EFFORT TO SURVEY CANID POPULATIONS ALONG COASTAL LOUISIANA AND TEXAS FOR RED WOLF ANCESTRY TO DETERMINE THEIR ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY AND ASSESS THE REGION FOR POTENTIAL RED WOLF REINTRODUCTION.THE RED WOLF REINTRODUCTION SUITABILITY PROJECT: THIS STUDY INVOLVES IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL AREAS FOR REINTRODUCING RED WOLVES WITHIN THEIR HISTORIC RANGE AND TO PREDICT THE SUITABILITY OF THOSE AREAS FOR RECOVERY.EASTERN CANIS TAXONOMY PROJECT: THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE RED WOLF'S EVOLUTION AND ITS RELATEDNESS TO OTHER CANIS SPECIES IN NORTH AMERICA USING MORPHOLOGICAL, GENETIC, AND ECOLOGICAL DATA.EXPANDING HORIZONS IN WOLF EDUCATION AND AWARENESSAT THE HEART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL MISSION LIES THE DRIVE TO CONSISTENTLY AMPLIFY AWARENESS ABOUT WOLVES AND COMBAT THE PREVAILING STIGMAS SURROUNDING THEM. IN 2024, THE WCC CONTINUED TO EDUCATE ABOUT WOLVES THROUGH IN-PERSON AND DIGITAL OUTREACH, INNOVATIVELY ENGAGING BROADER AUDIENCES BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY. WE OFFERED 570 ONSITE PROGRAMS, REACHING MORE THAN 14,000 PEOPLE. THROUGH OUR VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, WOLF ENTHUSIASTS SPANNING FROM AUSTRALIA TO IRELAND TO CALIFORNIA GAINED DEEPER INSIGHTS INTO THE PIVOTAL ROLE WOLVES PLAY IN FAMILIES AND ECOSYSTEMS. THESE ENTHUSIASTS ALSO FOSTERED A RENEWED APPRECIATION FOR RECOGNIZING THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WOLF.WCC RESEARCH LABIN 2021, WE ADDED A SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST TO OUR STAFF AND IN 2022 WE CONTINUED TO BUILD OUT OUR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CAPABILITY VIA THE WCC RESEARCH LAB.A STRATEGIC GOAL FOR THE WCC RESEARCH LAB IS TO GROW INTO A HUB FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH ON THE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON WOLVES AND COYOTES. BECAUSE THESE AREAS HAVE APPLIED RELEVANCE, THEY ARE WELL-SUITED FOR INFLUENCING CONSERVATION POLICIES, ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN ADVOCACY, AND ADVANCING WCC'S MISSION.THE DIRECTIONS FOR THE RESEARCH AT WCC INVOLVES BUILDING OFF ONGOING PROJECTS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE DISTRIBUTION, ECOLOGY, AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF RED WOLVES, COYOTES, AND RED WOLF-COYOTE HYBRID POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AS WELL AS ESTABLISHING RESEARCH IN THE MID-ATLANTIC TO ASSIST IN ADDRESSING PRESSING CONSERVATION NEEDS IN THE REGION.ONGOING PROJECTS: GULF COAST CANINE PROJECT: THIS IS A LARGE-SCALE EFFORT TO SURVEY CANID POPULATIONS ALONG COASTAL LOUISIANA AND TEXAS FOR RED WOLF ANCESTRY TO DETERMINE THEIR ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY AND ASSESS THE REGION FOR POTENTIAL RED WOLF REINTRODUCTION.THE RED WOLF REINTRODUCTION SUITABILITY PROJECT: THIS STUDY INVOLVES IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL AREAS FOR REINTRODUCING RED WOLVES WITHIN THEIR HISTORIC RANGE AND TO PREDICT THE SUITABILITY OF THOSE AREAS FOR RECOVERY.EASTERN CANIS TAXONOMY PROJECT: THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE RED WOLF'S EVOLUTION AND ITS RELATEDNESS TO OTHER CANIS SPECIES IN NORTH AMERICA USING MORPHOLOGICAL, GENETIC, AND ECOLOGICAL DATA.EXPANDING HORIZONS IN WOLF EDUCATION AND AWARENESSAT THE HEART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL MISSION LIES THE DRIVE TO CONSISTENTLY AMPLIFY AWARENESS ABOUT WOLVES AND COMBAT THE PREVAILING STIGMAS SURROUNDING THEM. IN 2022, THE WCC NOT ONLY FULLY REOPENED ITS DOORS BUT ALSO ENHANCED ITS DIGITAL OUTREACH, INNOVATIVELY ENGAGING BROADER AUDIENCES BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY. REMARKABLY, OUR IN-PERSON EVENTS IN 2022 ATTRACTED MORE PARTICIPANTS THAN THE COMBINED TOTAL OF OUR 2021 PROGRAMS. THROUGH OUR VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, WOLF ENTHUSIASTS SPANNING FROM AUSTRALIA TO IRELAND TO CALIFORNIA GAINED DEEPER INSIGHTS INTO THE PIVOTAL ROLE WOLVES PLAY IN FAMILIES AND ECOSYSTEMS. THESE ENTHUSIASTS ALSO FOSTERED A RENEWED APPRECIATION FOR RECOGNIZING THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WOLF.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
64 cents of every dollar goes to the work
Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.
$1,939,974 programs, $499,485 management, $587,385 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The people
Who does the work
Took the helm from Leila Wetmore, who drew $15,833 in the final year on file.
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at the Wolf Conservation Center? Claim this page.
Those 10 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If the Wolf Conservation Center is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $620,246 |
| 2012 | $944,942 |
| 2013 | $1,570,563 |
| 2014 | $943,313 |
| 2015 | $1,549,146 |
| 2016 | $1,654,047 |
| 2017 | $2,896,866 |
| 2018 | $3,499,987 |
| 2019 | $2,946,494 |
| 2020 | $1,840,901 |
| 2021 | $3,559,926 |
| 2022 | $3,384,804 |
| 2023 | $2,802,901 |
| 2024 | $3,724,328 |
From $620K in 2011 to $3.7M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years.
In court
Fights alongside Center for Biological Diversity (1 shared case) and Defenders of Wildlife (1 shared case). Same case, same side, on the federal docket. Their dockets on CourtListener.
The record
On the record with the agencies
5 comments on federal decisions since 2023, each filed under the group’s own name on regulations.gov, none yet on a decision we track. Read them on regulations.gov.
Year by year
The record, in order
- 1999Wolf Conservation Center is formed.the return, formation year
- 2014Defenders of Wildlife v. Jewell: plaintiff, closed.the docket
- 20255 comments, all to the Fish and Wildlife Service, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 1 federal case with the group on the docket, 5 comments filed under its own name. Nothing here is written from memory.
Under threat right now
The most urgent fights on the record
Open comment windows first, then live federal cases. Each opens the groups defending it.
- Comments close Oct 16 · 2 days leftCumberland Island National SeashoreGeorgia
- Comments close Oct 23 · 9 days leftWhite Mountain National ForestNew Hampshire
- Comments close Oct 26 · 12 days leftGifford Pinchot National ForestWashington
- Comments close Nov 2Gates of the Arctic (Ambler Road)Alaska
Every place under threat, the fifty states and the wildlife, each with who’s on the record for it.
Across the 4 states where they work, the congressional delegations average 68 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗FollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with the Wolf Conservation Center
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.