Press

The Oregon Nature Conservancy ran a story about us in fall 2008. Here is the story that they wrote, and the article Leslie wrote that they posted on their website.

We were honored by the state legislature by a House Resolution (here is the Resolution and accompanying Picayune Article)! We were able to attend, but unfortunately, we missed the reading as it was postponed.

Dane Anderson wrote an article in the Picayune about our Nobelity screening. Click here to see the scanned copy (jpg).

Click here for a scanned copy of an article about our Haunted House that appeared in the Westlake Picayune of Austin, Texas a few years ago.

Click here for a story by one of the Wildthings, Katie, about our first trip. This one was written by Leslie and is about our trip to Mission: Wolf.

This is the first story that appeared in the Picayune about our group (the scanned copy is here).

Westlake Picayune

Austin, Texas   2003

Walking on the wild side

By Catherine Hosman

This past June a group of girls from West Ridge Middle School who call themselves The Wildthings, embarked on a life-changing journey to the Candy Kitchen Rescue Ranch for wolves.

Nestled in the middle of the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico, the ranch is a haven for abandoned wolf and wolf-hybrid pets.

“We wanted to help an animal in danger, so we chose wolves,” said Haley Jenkins, 12. “We are all interested in wolves. When we found this place we thought it would be a good project.”

The Wildthings is a group dedicated to the support and preservation of wild life. The idea was born when Nina Beachum, Haley Jenkins, Micaela Lacy, Leslie Reynolds, Savannah Ritter and Katie Pipkin grew wanted to start an organization with their own structure and expectations.

“I wanted to be a big yes person to whatever it is spoke to their hearts,” said parent Barbara Atwell-Ritter, who helped the girls create the group. “I opened with lots of space for brainstorming, and what emerged was their mutual love of animals.”

Ritter said they looked at helping out wildlife sanctuaries, near and far. In fact, several of the girls already volunteer at the Austin Animal Shelter.

“We want to help the community and wild life,” said Leslie Reynolds,12.

A dream begins

Once the girls decided on the Candy Kitchen Rescue Ranch they had to raise their own money for the trip.

“We started last Christmas by taking an online baby sitting course,” said Savannah Ritter, 12. “We earned money by baby sitting. On Valentine’s Day we sold wolf shape and Valentine cookies in front of Border’s Book Store.”

What followed was a massive garage sale where the girls gathered personal items they no longer wanted or needed. Still short of their $1,200 goal, they hosted a car wash using stalls donated by a local self-serve car wash.

“Orders for Valentine cookies poured in from those who heard what the Wildthings wanted to do,” Ritter said. “The same thing happened with items for the garage sale and attendance at the carwash.”

With enough money earned for the trip, the girls finalized their plans, but were adamant in their goal.

“We don’t want to be seen as girls who just go on a trip and have fun,” said Savannah Ritter. “We want to make a difference in the world.”

In the pre-dawn hours of June 6, the girls and their parent escorts, Barbara and Sam Ritter with 7-year-old son Cade, and Ann Jenkins loaded up two vans with camping equipment and embarked on an 18-hour drive that would be a life-changing journey where lessons learned came from the heart of the girls and the spirit of the wolves.

For four days the girls cleaned pens, built ponds, pulled weeds, organized the gift shop and spent time with some of the friendlier wolves.

“We had some duties prearranged for them, but there were so many variables, so many animals,” said Chuck Kearns, animal care supervisor at Candy Kitchen. “They helped us in ways beyond people who normally visit do. They got closer to the wolves. The girls are very exuberant and would not stop working until they were exhausted.”

At day’s end the girls returned to their tents. Sanctuary volunteers made sure the girls had everything they needed, then would entertain them with camp songs. But no song was as haunting as the songs of the wolves that serenaded the girls throughout the night.

“We were (camped) only 50 yards away from the wolves,” said Katie Pipkin,. “Sleeping in the tents you could hear the wolves howling. It was beautiful to hear, but also sad.”

Lessons learned

In four short days The Wildthings learned a lot about wolves and each other. They also learned that keeping a wolf or wolf-hybrid as a pet is not a good idea.

“And we became more aware of our surroundings,” said Alex North, 12. “When (volunteer) Leyton took us on a rock hunt he taught us how to pick up a rock and sense that something is living under it. Now when I look at a bug I know not to kill it.”

The Wildthings has grown to eight girls, each who have specific jobs. Alex North is treasurer, Leslie Reynolds and Haley Jenkins are archivists, Micaela Lacy is the journalist, Savannah Ritter is secretary, Christina Hooks keeps the calendar, Katie Pipkin and Nina Beachum are Web masters.

They are already planning their next trip and coordinating ways to earn the money. There not sure if it will be to Port Aransas to help the sea turtles or to Arkansas to work with Heifer International, an organization that donates farm animals to families in third world countries, with the stipulation that if an animal has an offspring they must share it with another family.

“We want The Wildthings to be viewed as girls who are active and raise money for good causes,” North said. “It’s not for ourselves, but for the wildlife.”

We came, we saw, we helped.