USA: Wolf Connection and Inclusive, Safe Spaces for All
Attaining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities
ISBN: 978-1-80455-839-3, eISBN: 978-1-80455-836-2
Publication date: 29 August 2023
Citation
Fuery, P. and Fuery, K. (2023), "USA: Wolf Connection and Inclusive, Safe Spaces for All", Birdthistle, N. and Hales, R. (Ed.) Attaining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities (Family Businesses on a Mission), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 55-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-836-220231005
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024 Patrick Fuery and Kelli Fuery. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. These works are published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of these works (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode.
License
These works are published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of these works (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode.
USA: Wolf Connection and Inclusive, Safe Spaces for All
Wolf Connection is a wolf sanctuary located on the outskirts of a rural town, Acton, California, nestled in the Angeles National Forest. The sanctuary consists of 165 acres of stunning woodland and high desert mountains, including a year-round stream. It is located within a one-hour drive from Los Angeles. Wolf Connection runs a series of programmes based around issues of mental health, addressing social and economic inequality, and providing strategies for resilience and well-being. Wolf Connection identifies the following as its core business activities: Providing Animal Rescue and Wildlife Preservation; At-Risk Youth Education and Empowerment; Community Empowerment; and Environmental Awareness and Sustainability (see Fig. 1 for one of the wolves at Wolf Connection). This chapter examines these activities as they reflect the UN's SDG#11.
Introduction
Wolf Connection is an exemplary model of the UN's SDG#11, offering a sustained and long-term commitment to a number of the key aspects, notably SDG#11.a, which aims to provide a ‘positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas’; SDG#11.4 which is to ‘strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage’; and SDG#11.7 which is to ‘provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities’. The philosophy of Wolf Connection, and in particular the ways in which it demonstrates the idea of a family business and its commitment to these issues, is best summed up in its statement on the relationship between its operations and projects to the natural world and humanity: ‘The wolves model a pack mentality and their stories of moving through trauma include support from the beings who surround them. Programme participants apply the wolves' teachings amongst their human pack at Wolf Connection as well as in their daily lives. They come to recognise the power of community and support amongst humans. We explore the ways in which we can protect and enjoy the wonders that the world provides us and recognise that we are connected to all that surrounds us’ (Wolf Connection Program FAQS, n.d.a).
Wolf Connection runs several programmes which align with these issues of empowerment, resilience and overcoming trauma, most notably the three distinct programmes for Women Veterans, At-Risk Youth and Women. This case study will focus on these activities and explain how they align with SDG#11. Our emphasis will be on two key aspects of this strategic development goal: how the preserving of cultural heritage and the natural environment is a core element of the physical location and dimensions of the sanctuary, and how the sanctuary utilises the natural environment and its compassionate programmes to foster safe and inclusive spaces for women and youth in particular. The geographical location (a natural space close to Los Angeles) and sociocultural positioning makes it a significant case study for the issues of accessible space between the urban, peri-urban and the natural environment. This case study examines how it is the work of the family business of the founder Teo Alfero and his partner Renee Alfero, along with the staff of Wolf Connection that drives this unique project.
Vision and Mission
At one level, the core activity of Wolf Connection is the rescue and housing of wolves and wolf dogs that come from neglected and abusive backgrounds. The animals have suffered trauma at the hands of humans, often being at risk of euthanasia. The sanctuary rehabilitates the wolves, providing a vast natural expanse for them to heal. The bond between the animals and their human carers is palpable. What is remarkable is how the wolves are nurtured back from their traumatic past, living an existence between their own natural instincts and pack order, and the human environment. This parallels the participants in the programmes run by Wolf Connection, all having past experiences of trauma and abandonment and in search of a way to heal. These difficulties and distresses arise from different contexts but do share several features that are directly relevant to the issues here. What is particularly noteworthy is the interrelationship between trauma arising from urban-based environments and the therapeutic programmes located in the natural surroundings. It is the spaces of the forest, the sounds of the streams, the sensorial attachment to the natural environment and the immersion into the wolf world that aligns with the sustainable development goal of fostering safe and inclusive spaces. These tangible, physical connections of space and emotion are made even more powerful given the traumatised, neglected and socially isolated participants in the programmes. These programmes and activities are summed up in three of the mission statements of the institution, including the sanctuary's integrated processes of psychical therapeutic healing, the acts of rescue (for both humans and animals) and processes of empowerment. What is particularly noteworthy is how closely these policies and programmes align with the SDG addressing #11:
Wolf Therapy: We provide at-risk groups the education, character and skill-building resources in an emotionally, mentally, physically safe and supportive environment that will allow them to grow, thrive and become contributing community members.
Rescue: We improve the quality of life of large canines by providing rescue, sanctuary and behavioural enrichment in order to strengthen the bond and collaboration between humans and animals.
Empowerment: We integrate the animal/nature experience in education, workshops and retreats that build self-esteem, encourage personal growth and spiritual awareness, and help prepare for the future with positive values, realistic goals and the powerful life skills needed to achieve those goals.
Services Offered by Wolf Connection
The key services offered by Wolf Connection are listed below. This case study will explore how these align with SDG#11 both as individual actions as well as an integrated whole:
A range of diverse programmes centred on different sections of the community, engaging with strategies for mental well-being and recovery.
Therapy for at-risk youths and social integration.
Empowerment programmes for women.
Resilience strategies for women veterans.
Care for abused and neglected wolves.
Care for the natural environment.
Background to Wolf Connection
To better understand how Wolf Connection can be seen as a model for SDG#11, it is worthwhile articulating the organisational structure and the background stories of its founder and key staff. This section will examine the history, growth and development of the organisation, the underpinning philosophies of its founder and staff and how the sanctuary aligns its mission of rescue and healing with the natural environment.
Founders and Key People
Wolf Connection was founded in 2009 by Teo Alfero (see Fig. 2). Originally from Argentina, Teo moved to California in 1999. He comes from a family of educators and legislators who have supported youth development in his native country. Embracing those values, Teo developed a passion to reach out to young people in need of mentoring and guidance. Over the years, he has been a court advocate with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programme, a registered foster father, a trainer for the Safe School Ambassadors programme and a mentor and a life coach for adolescents and young adults. In his private coaching practice, Teo has specialised in working with boys from various social backgrounds, guiding them into a constructive dialogue to express themselves and find ways to deal with their personal life challenges.
Wolf Connection, being consistent with its values of the human–animal engagement, lists Tala (see Fig. 3) as the co-founder of Wolf Connection. We include her here to be true to the spirit of the organisation, as Teo describes her enduring presence: ‘Tala now rests at the Wolf Heart Ranch, overlooking the pack she created’.
Teo and Renee married in 2013 and have worked together in developing the wolf sanctuary and its interconnected programmes. As Lead of Animal Behaviour, Renee (see Fig. 4) oversees the socialisation of the rescued wolf dogs and general caretaking training for volunteers. Renee also works with the programmes team by facilitating the animal/human connection to maximise Wolf Connection's programming. Renee trained at Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management programme with continued hands-on medical experience as a veterinary technician.
Amanda is a licenced psychologist and educator, and at Wolf Connection she collaborates with the wolf pack and human programme team to facilitate powerful opportunities for awareness, connection, healing and growth. Amanda (see Fig. 5) earned her PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her clinical training and experience has focused on multicultural competence, group interventions and mindfulness-based approaches to wellness. At a postdoctoral level, she has engaged in intensive training focused on psychological trauma and healing. Consistent with her commitment to social justice as a therapist, she has presented and published several empirical studies focused on social, cultural and training issues (including inmates' experiences, White privilege and multicultural learning environments).
Ree's (see Fig. 6) role at the sanctuary is multi-layered and, in many ways, exemplifies the multiplicity of roles taken up by the staff. She is also a testament to the healing efficacy of the programmes. Her primary role as Director of Development positions her as a lynchpin for many of the key activities of Wolf Connection. The sanctuary continually interconnects its operations with a non-profit status, which shapes several of its business strategies and processes. As such, there is extensive networking involved across a range of stakeholders, external agencies (both government and private) and the general public. Ree's background in the entertainment industry (for over 12 years in NYC as an actress and screenwriter) enables her to engage these different constituents as well as understand the uniqueness of the sanctuary as a business. A part of her personal history also aligns with Wolf Connection's core business of dealing with health and trauma. Just days before moving to California, she underwent a serious health issue involving extensive treatment. It was during her recovery that she decided to volunteer at Wolf Connection. Working with the wolves, she saw a strength in herself that she hadn't previously realised was there. She started working in the programmes and has witnessed the deep transformation in the youth participants in particular.
Organisational Structure and Description, Size of Organisation and Key Attributes of Organisation
Wolf Connection ranch is based on 165 acres in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest, an hour North of Los Angeles. This land was purchased in 2015 and subsequently occupied in 2016, expanding the original site threefold. Wolf Connection is financed by private donations, public admissions and by school districts and foster-care agencies that pay for the youth programmes. It has a total staff of 26, including the leadership team which is comprised of: the founder Teo Alfero; his wife/partner Renee Alfero, Lead of Animal Behaviour; Dr Amanda Beer, Director of Programs; Ree Merrill, Director of Development; Annette Golden, Director of Operations; Elena Albanese, Manager of Pack Services; and Claralynn Schnell, Executive Assistant. There are also nine staff members, covering areas of education, animal health, programming, podcasting, video and promotional materials and volunteering. There are also several volunteers, many of whom are previous participants in the programmes.
The organisation achieves remarkable efficiency through its structural processes, with specialised roles performing identified key processes (as one would expect). However, what is a somewhat unique attribute of the organisational system is the way in which staff will engage with other activities of the programmes and wolf care. For example, for the authors' visit, Ree Merill led the hike with the wolves, explained the care of the animals and the role of the environment and spoke on the history of the sanctuary and its future plans. In short, she was able to articulate all facets of the sanctuary, from its business model to each wolf's story, from the therapeutic principles of the programmes to the way the natural environment is such an integral component of what is done. This deep knowledge of the organisation is a significant aspect to the business model itself. The sanctuary itself would perhaps describe this as modelling a pack identity, just as each wolf in the pack has a specific role and responsibilities, they will also fill the other needs of the pack as required.
SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities and Wolf Connection
In this case, we focus on a few of the key targets for SDG#11 in terms of Wolf Connection's organisational principles and activities, most notably the interconnections between building and supporting sustainable communities and the Wolf Connection programmes (see Fig. 7) and activities. The organisational underpinnings of all the programmes can be seen as stemming from the partnership of Teo and Renee's work with at-risk youth and the care for the animals. A central aspect of this analysis is how this business operates to develop and enact initiatives for communities at-risk, as well as the strategies based on bridging the alienating and traumatising existence many feel in their urban/city environments and the natural spaces of the sanctuary with its programmes of healing and empowerment. All of Wolf Connections' activities can be seen as a cogent and deliberate set of tactics on environmental sustainability and the spatial interactions between city life and the natural environment to create safe spaces. In this sense, Wolf Connection supports UN SDG#11 through its investment and development of programmes that will enable individuals to reintegrate into their communities as productive members. We wish to focus on three key indicators of SDG#11, notably: SDG indicators 11.4.1 – Protecting cultural heritage, SDG indicators 11.7.1 – Open spaces in cities and SDG indicators 11.7.1 – Safe spaces in cities.
SDG#11.4 – Protecting Cultural Heritage
This target aligns with actions on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage. Wolf Connection has a distinctive vision in this regard, recognising that natural heritage is inherently embedded in cultural heritage and that there is an inseparable bond between humanity and the natural world. Even more than this, Wolf Connection aligns all its programmes with the philosophy that the natural heritage is imperative to both mental and physical well-being. Of note in this regard is the efficacy of the at-risk youth programme which involves taking students from very difficult and challenging home and school environments and working with them in the natural environment. In doing so, they gain an appreciation of the natural world, and their role in preserving it. Many go on to engage with how cultural heritage can play a major role in social integration. One of the most striking spaces (and in many ways, metaphors) at the sanctuary that exemplifies this is the Medicine Wheel (see Fig. 8).
Participants stand in and alongside the wheel's directions, reflecting on past difficulties to move towards a stronger future. The Medicine Wheel itself is drawn from Native American culture and its presence at the sanctuary is an enacting of the protection of cultural heritage, particularly of the five tribes living in the region prior to European occupation, namely Tongva, Tataviam, Chumash, Kitanemuk and Serrano. As the National Library of Medicine summarises, the Medicine Wheel is ubiquitous to many Native American tribes:
The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of various Native American tribes for health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions, as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize dimensions of health and the cycles of life. The Medicine Wheel can take many different forms. It can be an artwork such as artifact or painting, or it can be a physical construction on the land. Hundreds or even thousands of Medicine Wheels have been built on Native lands in North America over the last several centuries.
Wolf Connection's creation and implementation of the Medicine Wheel both preserves cultural symbols and practices, as well as engages with traditional systems of thinking to empower individuals and groups.
SDG#11.7.1 – Open Spaces in Cities
![Fig. 9.
Ree Merrill With Theo
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Fig. 9.
Ree Merrill With Theo
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This indicator measures how the relationship between a city and the open spaces in and around it is utilised and planned for public use for all, and in particular by sex, age and persons with disabilities. There is a strong link between the natural environment of Wolf Connection (see Fig. 9), with its open spaces, forested areas and trails, and the nearby city of Los Angeles, as well as peri-urban areas (such as Palmdale, Acton and Antelope Valley). Los Angeles is the primary originating location for the general public visitors, and as such the sanctuary creates open spaces for city dwellers; many of the programme participants (most notably the at-risk youths) come from the peri-urban, smaller cities and communities located in closer proximity to the sanctuary. The communities that visit the sanctuary do so in this context of shared open spaces and as an escape from the large city environs of L.A. What makes this somewhat distinctive is that the sanctuary works carefully and consistently to embed visitors in the wolves' natural environment. All programmes and visits are built around this idea that people are entering the wolves' ‘home’. This is crucial to how the programmes operate, that is, as immersive ecosystems to enable people to experience the natural world so close to the city. This connection and simultaneous distinction of the sanctuary's space(s) to the city is important as it foregrounds the necessity to preserve these natural, open environments.
Of particular note, the eight-week programme for at-risk youths foregrounds the natural ecosystem as one for healing and self-contemplation. The programme makes a direct connection between the natural world and the student's sense of belonging. This produces pro-environmental behaviour as well as an increased capacity to manage and control the travails of life back in the students' emotionally complex life in the city and urban areas. These students come from extremely challenging backgrounds, including expulsion schools, and face the prospect of being placed in a juvenile detention centre. The at-risk programme demonstrates not just intervention in these troubled lives, but also a high rate of preventing recidivism. By foregrounding the preservation of the natural world, the programme also instils in the participants the need to be environmentally aware and enact change to safeguard it.
SDG#11.7.1 Safe Spaces in Cities
This indicator engages with issues related to victims of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence. A key aspect of this is to measure and help support the provision of universal access to safe, inclusive and available, green and public spaces in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities (see Fig. 10). This goal is particularly relevant to Wolf Connection, informing a range of strategies for the programmes it runs, the concepts and practices of empowerment for individuals and groups that have been disenfranchised, traumatised and/or alienated through events in their lives. Wolf Connection actively engages with creating a safe, healing environment, allowing people to regain strength after suffering from systemic prejudicial issues. This is demonstrated most tangibly in the programmes offered by the sanctuary, often in collaboration with outside agencies. By way of illustration, the following summarises programmes that demonstrate the safe spaces of the sanctuary created to counter the travails of the participants' lives:
The Resiliency Program for Women Veterans collaborates with Military Veteran Affairs Department to provide six weekly sessions for women veterans. The programme recognises that women in the armed forces are often subjected to potentially traumatising abuse within the system as well as the anxieties of deployment. Two statements from past participants speak to this:
From an explosive-disposal unit service member
The hardest part of coming back home was to be rejected by people because of the way I look. I gave everything for them and their families, and I never thought this would happen. Being unconditionally accepted and loved by Willow (one of the wolves) has literally changed my life. I feel a huge weight releasing off my chest, as if one of my lungs was missing too and now I have it back.
From a veteran battling depression and homelessness
As crazy and chaotic as the deployment was, I find civilian life a lot crazier. There is no ROE (rules of engagement) here. I am anxious all the time, more than I was in Afghanistan. But after a day here with the wolves, I feel like I have a pack again. I feel they understand me.
The Women and Wolves Program is a ten-week immersive programme that has a global dimension. Women from around the globe meet weekly to engage with ideas through lessons, culminating with an in-person retreat at Wolf Heart Ranch for women and wolves to connect in real-time. Previous participant's comments echo the intent of SDG#11 in terms of safe space and the natural environment:
This observation is mine and mine alone. Each wolf shares their stories in unique and individual ways to the humans who take the time to listen. What I have suffered and endured does not define me, but it is a part of me. It’s in the scars, some visible and some not. I was afraid before. I was scared to lose what made me whole. What would I become when so much was taken from me? Am I half of the woman that I used to be? I see you, Annie [a wolf], brave… the warrior having lost a limb, but still rooted in your self-confidence. I see you, not less than because of your loss, but more. How do we know what we can conquer until we are faced with having to do it? The strength it took to overcome was inside of you all along… inside of me, too. I didn’t have to think about it, it was there, inside, waiting to rise. It was waiting for the moment to show itself. Thank you, Annie, for the reminder that this survivor was a survivor all along. You are a beacon of light shining out showing us all what “being whole” really means”. A breast cancer survivor on what she learned from Annie. (a three-legged wolf)
Other participants have said:
The Women and Wolves program promised an experience that will create a safe space to grow and find the magic and fire within us. My experience as a participant in Women and Wolves most definitely did exactly that. I left the retreat on the final day enchanted with the possibilities the future holds. The entire experience blessed me with more knowledge, peace, forgiveness, vision, self respect, friendship, curiosity, love, magic, fire, grace, and grit.
I sit here with tears in my eyes as I think about my experience in Women and Wolves. To say that this program is life-changing seems like an understatement. I feel like I will never be the same person again, in a good way.
I’ve developed the courage and confidence to step into new roles and move through deep blockages.
The following two comments are from the student researchers for this chapter, included here to reflect the impact of these stories and experiences on a new generation whose lives will be most directly impacted by the United Nations' sustainability goals:
The vulnerability shown by the wolves has been demonstrated through countless individuals, who have transformed their lives after visiting the sanctuary. The experience is life-changing, leaving many personalities unrecognizable after the challenging process. Not only are these people bettering themselves through a wolf connection, but this connection is reshaping the wolf narrative for this generation.
–Ali Davenport
Something that really stuck out to me was Ree’s description of the therapy, when she explained that people with a history of trauma, abuse, or neglect were interacting with wolves that had also experienced trauma or neglect. A quote from our interview with Ree that I immediately wrote down was “If the wolves can get through the trauma, so can I;” I thought this was such a beautiful way to describe the therapy, as mutually beneficial between the two parties working together through their individual trauma.
–Sophia Mall
Business Model of Wolf Connection, Its Relationship to the Greater Good and SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
When the land, the wolves, and the humans come together … well, only amazing things can happen.
–Teo Alfero
Wolf Connection is classified as a non-profit organisation, holding a 501(c) (3) US tax status. This specific tax category is determined through a range of activities; the two most directly related to this organisation is the prevention of cruelty to animals and children and providing services to the community. The relevance here is that this tax status reflects the entwined processes of the organisation as a family-based business and the social issues articulated in the activities. As an example of the relationship between the organisational processes of the business and the programmes, we note how the At-Risk Youth Education and Empowerment activities are aligned with the business model in the following strategic implementations:
We empower youth to become authentic leaders and contributing community members. We accomplish this through facilitating experiential relationships with rescued wolves and the natural environment. We provide single-day programs, multi-day retreats and 8-week animal-encounter therapy, experiential education, trauma relief, and empowerment programs for at-risk youth and other at-risk populations. We serve contracts with LA Dept of Public Social Services, Dept of Children & Family Services, Antelope Valley Unified High School District, Palmdale School District, and other schools, youth organisations and community organisations.
Along with the leadership team, Wolf Connection has an Advisory Board, comprised of 10 voting members, which supports and sustains many of the developments of the sanctuary as a business. The constitution of this Board is indicative of some of the unique characteristics of the business model with its family-based origins and philosophy, and as such, it is worth summarising the key members, their backgrounds and roles in the sanctuary. The recurring attributes of the members are that they combine three to four disciplinary areas of expertise, namely: business (and investment strategies); medical and healthcare; working with disadvantaged people, particularly at-risk youth; animal care and rescue, mainly as it relates to environmental issues. There is also a common theme of global experience, and how the larger issues of how disadvantaged and traumatised members of a community can be helped in recovery through the programmes of Wolf Connection. This is a somewhat unique combination and determines the work and support that is done as well as providing a financial capacity to enable this work. In other words, the viability of Wolf Connection to fulfil the strategic demands of the UN's SDG#11 stems from the business model of the organisation and the background and interests of its Board. Key Board members are listed in Appendix A following the case study.
The professional expertise of the Wolf Connection Board reflects the core philosophy of the family business, particularly in terms of engaging communities which have been marginalised, and individuals who have suffered traumas and hardship. The interaction between the natural world (of wolves and wilderness) and urban dwellers requires a unique set of skills, which is reflected in the combined backgrounds of the Board. This includes health care (both physical and mental), financial and business acumen, the capacity for businesses to engage in programmes to address social needs, knowledge of private and public institutions and their processes of governance, developing technologies and their capacity to engage groups at a national and international level and education, particularly within the context of communities with financial challenges. It is the manner in which Wolf Connection draws on its Board's diversity that presents a business model which reflects the significant challenges it faces, and innovative solutions it has developed.
What Next for Wolf Connection and SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
The future plans for Wolf Connection indicate even stronger alignment with the sustainable development goals, particularly as the family business expands its care of the environment, thus preserving green space for all. The sanctuary has doubled in size every year since 2010, strategically developing space that fosters the various programmes with people and wolves. The new developments (funded largely through donations) include:
Overnight and weekly stays, to allow for more in-depth work in the programmes. This will significantly improve the efficacy of the programmes by developing more immersive activities. Building the levels of trust, and thus group identity, is a key process in community formation. This is particularly apposite to the individuals involved as they come from highly urbanised areas with little access to green space. One of the greatest challenges that Wolf Connection has faced is meeting the increased demand for places in its programmes.
A residential facility for youth transitioning into independent living. This will be a core development for the programmes focused on at-risk youth, linking the participants to strategies for caring for the self by caring for their own, and wider, environment. Many of the participants in these particular programmes face the difficulties of uncertain housing. By providing residential facilities, these youth will gain skills for a more independent future.
A retreat centre where youth and families from all walks of life can find healing and hope. Wolf Connection's programmes to provide support to participants by giving access to the natural world mirrors this core SDG#11 driver of care for healing the environment. Wolf Connection prioritises actions that enable those involved to make the link between their own conditions and backgrounds and the wider natural environment. This is a further aspect to Wolf Connection's commitment to healing through immersion.
Gathering and creative rooms to foster awareness of sustainability issues. This will serve as a primary driver in the teaching and understanding of the imperative need for sustainability and living more sustainable lives. This philosophy is embedded in all aspects of Wolf Connection, and this initiative will serve to further develop initiatives and activities strongly tied to these SDGs.
Outdoor teaching and gathering areas. All aspects of the programmes involve the immersion in the natural environment. This is an expansion of the activities that define Wolf Connection's unique interpretation of SDG#11. The family business maintains the philosophy that the participants of its programmes must spend all their time outside in the natural spaces of the sanctuary. This is where the strength of the programme lies – working within the green spaces so different from the urban world.
Two more state-of-the-art wolf compounds in addition to the existing one. This can be seen as both an increase in numbers of participants and also further preservation of the natural environment and access to it. These additional wolf areas also reflect the need to care for more wolves. At the time of writing, Wolf Connection had taken in an additional 10 wolves.
These developments demonstrate how the sanctuary is effectively aligning its core business activities with environmental awareness and integrating sustainability goals into its programmes of well-being. This is particularly the case with issues of mental health, social justice and bettering the lives of those alienated and abandoned by much of society. This is where Wolf Connection demonstrates its unique vision of therapy and well-being through the human–wolf interaction.
This image is indicative of the significance of the immersive aspects of the natural environment at the sanctuary. To be at the sanctuary is to be embedded in a space that is removed from the urban. It is the placing of the self into the natural environment.
References
National Library of Medicine n.d, National Library of Medicine . (n.d.). Medicine ways: Traditional healers and healing. Native Voices. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/exhibition/healing-ways/medicine-ways/medicine-wheel.html. Accessed on March 9, 2023.
Wolf Connection, n.d.a, Wolf Connection . (n.d.a). What we do. The Wolf Heart Ranch. https://wolfconnection.org/wcs-new-home-2/. Accessed on March 8, 2023.
Wolf, Wolf Connection, n.d.b, Wolf Connection . (n.d.b). Financials: 2020 form 990. Wolf Connection Financials. https://wolfconnection.org/financials/. Accessed on March 8, 2023.
Appendix A: Board Members of Wolf Connections
Board Chair – Dr Steven J. Golightly | Dr Golightly's entire professional career focused on programmes and agencies that provided services to low-income children and families. He retired in February 2020 as Director of the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department (CSSD), where he had responsibility for over 1,600 employees and 300,000 child support cases worldwide. CSSD is the largest local child support programme in the United States. Before working in Los Angeles County, Dr Golightly was the Regional Administrator (SES Career) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, based in Atlanta, Georgia. There he was the senior federal official for all poverty programmes in the eight south eastern states. He also spent 12 years as Vice President for Human Service programmes at the National Alliance of Business in Washington, DC. He is the recipient of the California Child Support Director's Association Truly B. Knox award for leadership in the California child support community, the Charles Dykstra Excellence in Government award from the American Society for Public Administration and the Los Angeles County Productivity and Quality Commission's Excellence in Leadership award. |
Vice Chair – Jane Ross | Jane Ross is currently a Managing Director in Investment Banking at Oppenheimer and Co. In addition to her financial industry responsibilities, she moderates podcasts entitled Let's Talk Future about trends in technology, disruptive industries, sustainability and timely investment themes. Jane was the Managing Director and Head of High Yield Sales at Oppenheimer. Prior to Oppenheimer, Jane was a founding participant in a high yield investment bank called Argosy Securities and an Executive Director at Bear Stearns. Jane earned her MBA at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and her BA from Stanford University. |
Board Treasurer – Daniel Amir | Daniel is a finance executive with over 15 years of experience in leading financial institutions including Lazard, Bear Stearns and JPMorgan, with a particular focus on technology. Earlier in his career he worked for the Department of Treasury in Israel. Daniel's education includes an MBA from UCLA and a MA and BA in International Relations and Economics from the Hebrew University in Israel. Daniel during his life has assisted underprivileged children and education and has been involved both in Israel and the United States in organisations that support at-risk youth. |
Board Secretary – Scott Jarus | Scott Jarus is a former chief executive of several private and public companies, serving on many Boards of Directors. He is currently the Executive Chairman at of EV Connect, a provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging station solutions and developer of the industry-leading platform for managing the entire EV charging eco-system. |
Stephen Bochner, MD | Dr Bochner leads the Healthcare Private Capital and For-Profit Healthcare Sector. He is an established industry expert bringing years of experience recruiting senior healthcare executives and investors. He served as Vice President in the Venture Capital Group at Robertson, Stephens & Company where he focused on medical investments. Prior to joining RS & Co., he served as Vice President of Business Development at Fusion Medical Technologies. As a physician, Dr Bochner established a private medical practice affiliated with Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, specialising in minimally invasive surgical procedures. During this time, he served on the Clinical Faculty at Stanford University Hospital. Previously he was a member of the full-time faculty at Stanford University Hospital in the Department of Gynaecology. Dr Bochner obtained his medical degree from the University of Ottawa and McGill University and performed his specialty training at Stanford University, serving as Chief Resident in 1987. He holds an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in Biology from Colgate University. |
David Casselman | David Casselman is a lawyer and Co-founder of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as the Founder of Ecoflix, a worldwide streaming video-on-demand service. Both are devoted exclusively to animal and habitat causes. In addition, David is also a member of the Whale Sanctuary Board, an Executive Producer of ‘Love and Bananas, an Elephant Story’ and a long-time legal advocate for animals of all kinds. As he entered the business world, he simultaneously began to explore his ever-evolving appreciation for the balance of nature, which ultimately shaped a large portion of his professional life. As an award-winning civil trial attorney, David represented animal causes, pro bono. He has been involved in the protection and saving of animals for over 40 years. He is now developing Ecoflix, to provide a worldwide platform for animal causes around the world, including direct financial support. He is also actively involved with the ongoing rescue of elephants, primates and other indigenous animals in Thailand and Cambodia while supporting myriad important animal causes around the globe. |
Ulysses S. Chatman III | Mr Chatman is the Vice Principal of Phoenix High School in Lancaster, California. Mr Chatman has a long history in the Antelope Valley working with at-risk youth, as a coach and a pioneer in helping young students to improve their lot in life. Currently, Mr Chatman works with Phoenix High School as Vice Principal and has been responsible for many innovative programmes which include being involved in Wolf Connection. |
Gina Del Vecchio | Gina Del Vecchio is the CEO of SAGE Veterinary Centres, one of the largest advanced veterinary care concerns in the country. A recognised animal advocate, particularly in welfare and protection, Gina facilitated the founding of SAGE Compassion for Animals, a 501(c) (3) non-profit dedicated to providing financial assistance for veterinary care to help companion animals in crisis and end financial euthanasia due to the financial condition of the pet's human companion. |
Steve McAndrew | Steve McAndrew is currently the Deputy Regional Director of the Americas for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). From 2012 until 2019, he was the Head of Emergency Operations for the IFRC. For his role in leading the Red Cross response to the 2015 Ebola outbreak in Africa, Steve was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) medal by Queen Elizabeth II for Services to Humanity. Steve is one of a small group of Americans for whose special achievements have been recognised by the British government. Besides leading the effort to stop Ebola, in his work with the Red Cross, Steve has managed some of the largest and most challenging crisis facing the planet over the last decade, including the 2016 Syrian refugee crisis, the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015 and the 2010 Haitian earthquake, in which a quarter of a million people lost their lives. In 2017, Steve also served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Emergency Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction (GER), a newly formed US-based non-profit organisation that assists crisis-affected persons to rebuild following disasters with smart and efficient recovery projects. GER has carried out projects in Nepal, Puerto Rico, Barbuda, Haiti and Houston. Mr McAndrew has also worked in the United States Government Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) in Latin America and Africa and was also a founding partner of the Global Emergency Group consulting firm in 2008. |
Miguel Rivera | Miguel's Board affiliations include being a Board Member of ‘Shade Tree’, a mentoring group in Los Angeles since its inception in 1996, introducing at risk youth to traditional Native American ceremonies and ways of knowledge, he is a Board Member of ‘Western Gate Roots and Wings Foundation’, an organisation dedicated to bringing back rites of passage to youth, and a Board Member of ‘Soldier's Heart’, an organisation dedicated to working with Veterans. |
Errol Spiro | Growing up in South Africa, Errol witnessed extreme inequality in the era of apartheid which informed his commitment to mentoring young adults coming out of the Los Angeles child welfare system. Errol is a founding member of the Foster Alumni Co-Mentoring Experience, a programme founded in conjunction with Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency, that offers support to teenage foster youth as well as transition-aged youth who have very little or no family support, poor schooling and few life skills. Through his involvement with this programme since 2009, Errol has had the opportunity to work with and learn from the many young adults he has encountered. |
- Prelims
- Chapter 1 The Sustainable Development Goals – SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Chapter 2 What It Means to Be a Family Business Today
- Chapter 3 IQUTECH – Ireland's Largest Returns Management Company
- Chapter 4 Germany: DINZLER Kaffeerösterei AG, Strong in Regional Sustainability
- Chapter 5 USA: Wolf Connection and Inclusive, Safe Spaces for All
- Chapter 6 United Arab Emirates: The Family Business of the Shehada Brothers
- Chapter 7 Hickinbotham Group and Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Index