Experiencing Wolves with Jim and Jamie Dutcher – Lisa Connors

Some readers may not know that in another life I wanted to be a wolf biologist. When it came time to do a thesis research project during my Masters in Environmental Science at Bard College, I wrote to as many colleges and organizations doing wolf (or other predator research) in the hopes of getting an advisor, but understandably they all wanted to spend any monies they had on their own students. I ended up with an enjoyable research project looking at how muskrat soil disturbances influence soil nitrogen dynamics in a freshwater tidal marsh. And I was able to publish it, though it took time, which felt quite rewarding.

In the late 80s I was keeping up with current news and science about wolves. But between starting at Bard in 1992 and graduating in 1998, I had two children and moved to Houston from Princeton. My little pack was human focused, and time for keeping up with the world of wolves vanished. Somehow, I finally defended and published a paper by 2000.

It’s hard to remember that other life now, but I do wonder at times, as we all do I suppose about the ifs of life. I was in the library looking for any current children’s books on frogs and found Running with Wolves: Our Story of Life with the Sawtooth Pack by Jim and Jamie Dutcher (National Geographic, 2019) and I was surprised to realize I had never heard of these people or this project. It’s a well-done account of six years they spent documenting the lives of a pack of wolves they created from rescue places. They were careful never to treat the animals as pets, but had to gain their trust as human pack members to get close encounters and footage. I lived vicariously through their accounts, feeling their awe and shedding tears alongside their encounters. While I may find it hard to remember my life all those years ago, I still have that inner drive to connect with the wild. If your young reader has any such desires, I highly recommend this book. It is full of science and compassion, respect for the animals under their care, and it creates a pathway toward understanding a human need to connect to the world at a deeper level.

My chance to become a wolf biologist has long passed, but I am enjoying learning about any wildlife I find on travels and exploring my backyard, complete with our frog pond which is the inspiration for the current book I am working on. May your days find a little wild connection too.

I have about 25 more illustrations to go. Yikes!