Wolf Event, part 1

On June 14th we held an event to benefit Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program. These beautiful animals are one of our saddest stories. Endemic to Ethiopia, there is only an estimated 500 remaining. The Ethiopian Govt has resisted allowing what they consider to be a symbol of national pride to be captured or sold so there are NONE in captivity anywhere in the world. The 500 wolves that are left occur in tiny pockets throughout the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia and genetic homogeneity, disease from wild dogs, as well as competition for food with humans are all decimating the remaining populations.

In the picture above is one of our "wish list" items. We place tags around the stuffed wolves with different monetary amounts on them and what that money would purchase for EWCP. It is a great way to be transparent with donors about where their money is going but also to engage them on a deeper level. For instance, if someone's passion is really education, not conservation they could purchase the school books for the education program EWCP runs. They get to take the wolf home too!
Above:Beverages anyone? When people arrive they tend to mill about Charlie's foyer so we have started to bring drinks from the outdoor bar to them and this is me dutifully serving!

Below: After the event we held an intimate Ethiopian Buffet. It was really fun. Claudio, the conservationist associated with the project, showed us all the proper way to eat the food....They don't use utensils. Instead, you use Injera bread as a scooper and eat everything with your right hand. The food was excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a restaurant in their area.
Remember, you can click on any of the photos for a larger view of them!

Wolf Event, part 2

Check me out beating out a rhythm. I brought in these crazy fantastic African drummers to play and give a lesson to the guests. We actually sounded pretty good if I do say so myself! In the pictures with me is one of my volunteers, Sandy Ball and also one of our donors, Anne Mize who adopted a daughter from Ethiopia!