Wolf Park Staff Expert Educators Series Seminars

Staff Expert Educators Series Seminars

Wolf Park offers seminars based on research conducted here since 1972. All seminars feature an intimate, friendly setting with limited class sizes, flexible but full schedules and an ever-rotating menu of talks, presentations, video, and hands-on demonstrations. Participants will have ample opportunity to meet our hand-raised, socialized ambassador animals (restrictions may apply), as well as to ask questions.

All seminar participants receive a one-year single membership to Wolf Park, a binder of educational materials, and a certificate of completion. Some meals (usually lunch) are provided; special meal arrangements can be made for those with allergies, etc.

Click below to jump to descriptions of our most commonly offered seminars.

Three Day Seminars	Five Day Seminars	One Day Seminars
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Wolf Intensive Weekend (3 Days)

This workshop is a chance to spend three whole days immersed in wolves. It is a bit of a sampler, with every sort of wolf topic packed into a three day weekend, so anyone can make time to come and meet our wolves, and learn all about these amazing canids.

Participants will learn about the wolf as a species, as well as about its physical body, from its skeleton to its fur. Some canid evolution will be included, so you may understand better where wolves descended from, how they are related to coyotes, and how dogs showed up a few thousand years ago.

There will be a good dose of behavior thrown in, since that is Wolf Park's specialty. You can get a strong introduction to the wolf ethogram Wolf Park's staff has created, which is now being used by researchers all over the world. Saturday and Sunday mornings participants get to sit with Pat Goodmann, behavior guru, and observe the main pack. On Sunday, participants ride into the field where the wolf/bison demonstration is happening, and get a close look at predatory behavior.

The history of wolves will also be covered, including how they became endangered, and what is going on today with wild wolf populations in the US and around the world. We will also discuss the mythology of wolves, and how different cultures have perceived wolves through history.

In February, we often offer this seminar as a Behavior Intensive. This is the same as the Wolf Intensive Weekend but lacks wolf interaction opportunities. Since February is breeding season, the wolves are exhibiting a lot of exciting behavior and are great to watch at this time -- however, they can also get very irritable and we prefer not to force them to leave aside their courtship activities in order to interact with us.

Sampling of Topics:
Taxonomy and evolution of canids
Basic wolf ecology and physiology
Introduction to ethological principles and concepts
Social behavior: Wolf to wolf and wolf to human
Training for captive wolf interactions and responses
Hunting and predatory behavior
Observation of hunting techniques during the Wolf/Bison Demonstration

CEU Credits: 15.5

Wolf Behavior and Captive Management (5 Days)

Five-day seminars are an information-filled introduction to the field of ethology (animal behavior) and ethological concepts and theories, using wolves and their behavior as an example from which to learn. While the seminars do focus mainly on wolves, this is a wonderful way to learn about animal behavior in general, and specifically the behavior of your own "domesticated wolf" — the dog. These are very in-depth seminars suitable for professionals in the field, but anyone can appreciate them. No scientific background or previous study is necessary — just the desire to learn.

Sampling of Topics:
Observation of hunting techniques during the Wolf/Bison Demonstration
Observation of the wolves and practice in data collection techniques
Training for captive wolf interactions and responses
Meeting the wolves of the main research pack and other animals of Wolf Park
Participation in the Training Game
Introduction to ethological principles and concepts
Classical and operant conditioning techniques
"Play" and "jealousy" in wolves
Rank order
Imprinting of young animals
Border collie training and livestock guarding dogs
Wolf x dog hybrids

CEU Credits: TBD

Wolves and Dogs Mini-Intensive (1 Day)

This one day seminar is all about the similarities and differences between these two closely related canids. Learn about some of the behavioral differences between the two, how the dog evolved from the wolf, and even about that controversial creature, the wolf x dog hybrid. This seminar is an excellent opportunity to experience a little bit of Wolf Park for people who are short on time.

CEU Credits: 6.5

Because these seminars include the opportunity to meet Wolf Park's wolves, we insist that participants be 18 years of age or older and able-bodied enough to withstand a hearty greeting from a 100-pound wolf.

Refund and cancellation policy