The Norfolk Land Trust will host a presentation at the library by the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) of South Salem, N.Y. immediately following the land trust’s annual meeting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 16. The event, which is open to the public, will feature one of WCC’s Arctic gray wolves, Atka.

Attendees will learn about the history of wolves in the United States, the importance of wolves in a healthy ecosystem and the efforts to save these creatures for future generations.  By providing science-based education programming with Atka, the WCC encourages a philosophy of respect for all living things.

Atka is an 11-year-old, 90-pound Arctic gray wolf who arrived at WCC when he was just a week old. Raised by the staff, Atka eventually established his own pack. He is the only WCC wolf who likes to travel, so he is their best “wolf teacher.” Atka has visited 160 schools, nature centers, museums and libraries.

Arctic gray wolves are the only subspecies of wolf that is not threatened (since they rarely encounter humans). Even the native Inuit rarely settle as far north as the Artic grays. These wolves will roam areas as large as 1,000 square miles should food and territory become scarce. Some other unique characteristics of Arctic grays are their white fur, rounded ears, short muzzles and short legs.

Founded in 1999, the WCC promotes wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment and the human role in protecting their future. Their onsite and offsite education programs emphasize wolf biology, the ecological benefits of wolves and other large predators, and the current status of wolf recovery in the United States. For more information about the WCC, visit www.nywolf.org, or call 914-763-2373.