Wolves in Bennett Park?

Yes! Bethel Land Trust Holds Family Event on Mother's Day Sunday, 2 PM at Bennett Memorial Park
(map & directions below)

The Bethel Land Trust, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to land preservation and stewardship, will hold a special all-ages family event on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11. While The Bethel Land Trust is excited to share its mission and recent successes with the public, the stars of the day are sure to get the crowd howling. The event will feature a presentation by The Wolf Conservation Center, and will give attendees a rare opportunity to meet the Center's "ambassador," Atka, a five-year-old Arctic Wolf.

While wolves may seem like an exotic species in Fairfield County, this wasn't always the case. In the 1700s, wolves were common in most of North America, including Connecticut. As populations grew and settlers moved west, the wolves were driven out, killed for their fur or because they preyed on domestic livestock. By the early 1940s, wolves were virtually extinct everywhere in the continental U.S. except Minnesota. Recently reestablished in the Rocky Mountains and the desert Southwest, wolves have not yet made their way back to southern New England.

The Bethel Land Trust will hold its annual meeting beginning at 1 PM, and the public is encouraged to attend. The Wolf Conservation Center presentation will begin promptly at 2:00 PM. Bennett Memorial Park is located at 14 Shelter Rock Rd. in Bethel. As an ambassador wolf, Atka is tame and friendly. The event promises to be fun and educational for all ages, and is FREE (though donations will be accepted). Drinks and light refreshments will be provided.

Founded in 1999 the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) in South Salem, NY promotes wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment and the human role in protecting their future. The WCC accomplishes this mission through onsite and offsite education programs. These programs emphasize wolf biology, the ecological benefits of wolves and other large predators, and the current status of wolf recovery in the United States. The WCC also participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) and Recovery Plan for the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf and the red wolf.

Preserving and protecting open space -- right here in our own backyards -- provides essential habitat for many diverse wildlife and plant species. Open space improves everyone's quality of life, raises property values, and attracts new residents and businesses to our region. It makes our community a better place to live, and a better place for future generations.