Speaker Series – Dr. Tom Gable – Wolf Researcher

December 8 – Monthly Chapter Meeting In-Person @ 7:00 p.m.

Featuring Tom Gamble, Lead researcher for the Voyageurs Wolf Project

Join us In Person

The December chapter meeting will take place in-person in Room 207 of the new Aŋpétu Téča Education Center in Roseville, 1910 County Road B West, Roseville. December 8’s meeting will include special recognition of Richard Newmark, a long-serving volunteer.

“Studying the Secret Life of Wolves in the Northwoods”

Berry-eating, fish-hunting, beaver-ambushing wolves?? The Voyageurs Wolf Project was started to address one of the biggest knowledge gaps in wolf ecology: what do wolves do during the summer in forested ecosystems? Despite decades of research, the answer to this question has remained elusive due to the difficulties of studying wolves during the summer.  With the help of advanced GPS-tracing technology and remote video cameras, the Voyageurs Wolf Project has been able to get an unprecedented look at the summer ecology of wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem in Northern Minnesota. This research has revealed new aspects of wolf hunting behavior and shown just how variable wolf diets during the summer are. In Dr. Gable’s presentation, you will learn about the complex and fascinating lives of wolves in the Northwoods and literally see for yourself (from remote video footage) how these elusive wolves make a living.

Dr. Tom Gable is the project lead for the Voyageurs Wolf Project and he recently completed his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota.  He has been studying wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem since 2014 when he started his master’s degree at Northern Michigan University. He is particularly fascinated by wolf-beaver interactions and his graduate work was focused on trying to understand this predator-prey dynamic. Much of Gable’s early interest in wolves stemmed from encountering wolf tracks, kills, and the occasional wolf while exploring the wild places around his family’s cabin just outside of Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, during the winter.