April 20 is the birthday of sweetpea Alawa, the wolf my family adopted/sponsors at Wolf Conservation Center. Happy birthday, Alawa!

Our beautiful Alawa howling!
We first learned about Alawa via 4amwriter’s “Save El Lobo Writing Competition”, which put out the challenge to write an original piece showcasing wolves in a positive light, as both a learning and writing experience. I wrote a piece for the competition…but I also fell in love with the wolves at WCC, and with one wolf in particular: Alawa (ai-lay-ewa), whose name means “sweetpea” in Algonquin. You can read more about why in this earlier post.
Alawa is part of the Ambassador Pack of wolves under protection and care at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, about an hour outside of New York City. She lives there with her littermate Zephyr and their younger brother, Nikai. Alawa and her brothers descend from the Canadian/Rocky Mountain gray wolf. You can occasionally see one or more of them walking or roughhousing around their part of the conservation center on the WCC’s webcam.
Follow any of the wolf links above to learn more about the ambassador wolves or the Wolf Conservation Center in general. They offer tours, support opportunities, even camping nights under the stars with their wolves! You may even decide to adopt one of them, too. 🙂

The adoption package for Alawa, from Wolf Conservation Center.
Update:
Alawa is doing well. She has even been recorded as having the “laziest” howl! 😀 Listen to her lazy howl here:
So nice that you did this, and what fun it must be to follow along with them!
Thanks, Carrie! It is so much fun to be part of an ambassador animal’s personal growth, I just can’t shut up about it. (And I won’t.) 😀
I love all the updates about Alawa! She is so beautiful <3
Thanks! That happy face and soulful howl she’s got keeps me going on many a morning. I’m happy she brings a smile to others, as well!
So cool that writing and animal conservancy met and overlapped and gave you this wonderful wolf to watch over. Hugs!
Thanks, Kourtney! It’s especially joyful to know that our support is benefiting someone – or some wolf – in particular. Attaching a face to the cause makes a big difference. Especially when it’s an adorable face. 😀
So awesome! Do you plan on paying WCC a visit sometime? I know that they give tours and you could maybe meet Sweetpea for realsies! 🙂
I read about their women’s stayovers, but those happen at times of the school year when we just can’t take a break. WCC is not far from my alma mater, though, that I’m hoping to get a trip in sometime this year or next. <3
Thank you for introducing me to them, Kate!
Such a beauty! I’ve always had a soft spot for all creatures canine, and what they can do. Hopefully someday, we can adopt a majestic creature like this or someone a bit more house-friendly
Thanks, Chase! We would love to get to NY to visit Alawa sometime. She seems to be such a sweetie. And, wolves have always been an inspiration to me. House-friendly, I’m sure she is not, though! 😀 Doggos sure can be sweet, though. Hope you are able to make this little dream come true!