Happy Thanksgiving Weekend-Giving Tuesday

Mateo impersonating a bear breaking into a chicken coop

This past summer I was camped in the forest when my "neighbor" came over to let me know that we had a "problem bear" in the area. He had left his cooler out with many "sweet treats" in it overnight and the bear got into it. The bear now, as I knew from my experience in the field was habituated to human food and would go and try to find it in my camp and everybody else's. I hence went to make the rounds to inform everybody in my broader viciniy to keep a tight camp, namely to not leave (dog) food around and to secure their little dogs at night inside their trailer. And to lock any door that had food behind it. 😊

That night, the bear came to my camp and growled next to my tent, most likely he (and I later confirmed that it was a he becasue I saw him during the daytime) was frustrated with me keeping a tight ship and not even leaving a crumb out and locking everything into my car and "demanded" human food. I am an interspecies communicator and attempted to communicate with him that it was summer and there was plenty of nutritious 'wild bear food" around, much better for him than the donuts that he had tasted, but to no avail. He was already habituated to human food which acts like a drug to them and kept on foraging for people food at my other neighbor's camp who also kept a tight ship. A few weeks later he was in the news as he had bit another camper in my then available campsite, yet again looking for people food and there was a warrant out for his arrest. "Wanted, dead or alive" for supposedly being a "problem bear". I know from experience that this could have been avoided and that it is much more likely to have experiences like this one from one of my many amicable bear encounters because I was awake, alert, conscious and informed: 

"My attention fully belonged to my surroundings, I was awake and conscious of everything going on around me ... A rustling in the bushes next to the road I was slowly cruising along on my bike caught my heightened attention. Spontaneously, right from my heart, I said out loud: “Whoever you are, dear one, please show yourself to me. There’s no reason to be afraid of me. This is your home and I respect it.” I had barely uttered the last syllable, when the head of a bear popped up right next to me. He stood up on his hind legs to get a better look at me becasue bears do not have good eye sight. I stopped dead in my tracks. What a beautiful bear! What a beautiful soul. “I love you!” I exclaimed. “Thank you for being here with us on this earth. You are important and you matter.”  There was no reason to panic or behave irrationally just because there was a bear right next to me. Instead, I kept exuding my love for this animal. And hence the bear did not have to defend himself from me. In all my remaining years on this planet, I will never forget the look he gave me. Such an intelligent gaze, so full of brightness and with a twinkle that lit up the forest. I slowly kept pedaling away from him as I did not want to milk this situation for my own gain, namely to take pictures or try to get closer or in any way, shape or form to jeopardize his or my safety ... " 

This is exactly the purpose of this video fun-raiser: To bring awareness and consciousness about who bears truly are to the public and to do so with humor, joy and fun. Please be a part of this project and lend us your support in any way, shape or form that you can. So far we have several bear impersonators reinacting bear behavior and a sponsor for film equipment. Could use a couple of trail cameras, production and post production costs coverage, and outreach expenses.  See video embedded above. ❤️😊 We thank you! Thank you very much, dankeschoen, tak, merci, gracias, grazie, hvala, dankschoe, asante sana, mahalo, dank je, takk, salamat, spasibo, obrigado, kiitos and all the other languages of this wonderful world. I hope that google did not lead me on a wild goose chase when I googled some of these words. Please do let me know if I have missed the mark with one of the languages and know that you are appreciated, if I have mentioned your language here or not. 

ありがとう, 
谢谢, 
תּוֹדָה,
धन्यवाद, 
ευχαριστώ, 
شكرا 

Wild Animals and Humans-A guide to right conduct

Now more than ever it is important that we coexist with our wild brothers and sisters in the last slivers of their former habitats. There is a code of ethics to adhere to to ensure that we humans and the next seven generations and beyond will have the pleasure and privilege to in-joy the company of the Wild Nations for many years to come. I made this video in 2016, but it is more pertinent now that we have moved even further into their respective habitats since then. In-joy! ❤️😊😍 Please watch the video at the link below. Thank you!

Wild Animals and Humans

Messages from the Animals-The Gift of the Wolf

Messages from the Animals-The Gift of the Wolf about who wolves truly are is making the film festival rounds all over the world. We are happy to announce that coexistence with all life forms is not an empty phrase anymore, but is being practiced around the globe.

Making Contact: In memory of “Walks-in-my-footsteps”

I just learned today that the Alpha Male of the Hawk’s Nest Territory was shot. I call him “Walks-in-my-footsteps” and we had forged a special bond just a few weeks ago when I was visiting his territory in Arizona. His paw prints on top of my footprints on top of his paw prints are on a tape that I recorded and that I will hold onto for dear life.

As always I feel like a family member has died, which is no surprise to me since I feel connected to all of life on a deep level and have an extraordinarily strong bond to the wolf nation. Beauty in action, presence in motion got all wiped out by a bullet. The question remains if he had just been killed for “sport”, poached, actually in this case or if he had killed some livestock and somebody had taken it into their own hands to do justice for such a misdeed. 

But I digress. IT IS MY AIM TO PRESERVE HIS BEAUTY WITH MY WORD, not to espouse my grief. To let you know who we have lost so that we might preserve that beauty in the future. I could be furiously knitting or gardening to alleviate my grief. But I choose love over anger and I choose writing over crying now. I have to tell you who he was…

He was among the first Mexican Gray Wolves in the wild that I have ever seen.  We had just arrived in his territory and I was setting up my tent among the trees when I could feel their presence. “They have been here just recently” was the first thought that I had. My system went on high alert and my heart started to sing. I had barely put up the tent when again, I felt something deep and whole and primal and instinctive. I looked up and there they were; four of them together. He was among them, with his mate and yearling offspring by his side.

I was so touched by their magical visit and their curious unafraid gaze with which they greeted us, their graceful dance towards the cattle fence and how they took it in stride, making Houdini look like a dilettante that I wrote poetry right after their appearance: 

…You dance towards the fence

Away from our human presence

With that gait which is yours truly

Going through life an artist

Of hunting and prowling

Playing and stalking

Rearing pups and frolicking

Taking down your food as a team

My heart is wide open now

Its gaze is following your silhouettes

I cannot discern the cumbersome collars

Wrapped around your slender necks

You take the fence in stride

The Houdinis of the wide-open range

Dancing through barbwire

Like it was invisible mesh

When you are out of sight

I continue weeping with awe

And behold the blessing of your visit

To make it a keep sake for my life.

Take Only Photos, Leave Only Footprints . . . Safely

BY ELKE DUERR

"If we want to preserve our precious wildlife and wildland resources, we must all learn to follow basic guidelines when we view and photograph wildlife."

—General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army retired

It is a privilege to watch and photograph wildlife in its natural habitat. Nowadays, with nearly everyone in the wild armed with a camera, whether it’s a camera phone or professional photography and videography equipment, new questions have come up: What kind of conduct is ethical when it comes to wildlife photography, and what endangers the safety and wellbeing of photographer, wild animal and wildland?

Many of us are not aware of our natural sense of safe distance from and conduct toward wild animals. Some people view wild animals as part of the landscape, there for our enjoyment. Yet wild animals have their own personhood, so to speak. Some form family units similar to human families, often building strong, lifelong bonds with one another. They have roles to fulfill within their family structure, no matter what that structure might be, and in general are part of a picture larger than many humans can comprehend. Enjoying them is well and good as long as the animals and humans involved are not harmed in the process. We have all heard about tourists who urge their children to inch ever closer to a bear, wolf, elk or bison for a “once-in-a-lifetime” photo op.

In fact, I frequently witnessed this kind of behavior when I was visiting Yellowstone National Park last summer. One day an old bison bull was grazing alongside a turn-off in the road when a family stopped to take pictures of their son almost touching the large animal. I was horrified and tried, to no avail, to get them back into their car and to stop teasing and daring the young man to move ever closer to the bull.

Meanwhile, the bull's tail was moving into "charge" position; it was held aloft, which can only mean that either charge or "discharge" was about to happen. Since he was at that point, eyeing the people, it most likely meant that he was seriously considering charging. Luckily, the family retreated after taking enough pictures and drove away in the nick of time.

This might be the extreme case. But it frequently happens that humans mistake seemingly passive animals as a sign of safety. These animals might be ready to charge because they feel crowded. We demand space between ourselves and our fellow human beings. With wild animals, that space needs to be much larger than what we feel is appropriate between human beings.

After all, we are in their habitat when we are looking for opportunities to photograph wildlife. Throughout the world their habitat has been reduced to a sliver of its former size. While we can go anywhere in this world, from cafes to malls to running on a track or driving on a highway, animals are often confined to small areas where the pressure from encroaching humans adds more stress to their lives than they were formerly accustomed to. They need areas to which they can retreat and regroup, where they feel safe to be themselves and do what they came here to do, namely fulfill their role in the ecosystem, undisturbed.

It is best to observe wildlife from a distance and never follow an

animal or approach it too closely.
I recommend viewing and photographing from observation areas

and trails and using a telephoto lens, spotting scope or binoculars. Following wild animals or blocking their line of travel or their escape route is not recommended—even when it is tempting to get a photo from close up. Direct eye contact is often a sign of aggression to an animal, which is what it experiences when we are watching it through a lens. The same goes for walking directly toward a wild animal, even if it seems to not care about our presence.

It is of utmost importance to remain at a distance from nesting birds, denning animals and newborn animals. Wild animal parents, just like humans, are very protective of their offspring and instinctively protect their young from creatures that in their eyes might be dangerous.

This is usually not the case with wolves. Wolf mothers have been known to leave a den with pups when a human enters it rather than attack and drive the intruder out. Nevertheless, in our quest to take a picture or get closer to the pups, we harm them. These types of close encounters with humans are very stressful for animals not accustomed to having humans at close range. Crowding or encircling wildlife causes unnecessary stress to their system, as does following an animal that has chosen to leave.

There are other things that we do, often quite innocently, that cause harm to wildlife. Somebody recently told me about a young disperser wolf routinely fed by well-meaning humans who wanted to make sure he got enough to eat but who also wanted to be close to a wolf to take pictures of it.

Feeding wild animals for whatever reason could keep them from eating the food that nature intended for them to eat. It can also causes

animal concentrations, which could make them much more susceptible to disease and parasites and causes conditions such as tooth decay, gum infections and ulcers that occur when they eat food they are not accustomed to and which contains ingredients that are harmful to them. It also, of course, habituates them to us which often results in their being killed by humans for frequenting and defending their new food source. Feeding wild animals along roadsides can result in their being injured or killed by cars or chased by dogs.

Always bear in mind that some places lend themselves to wildlife photography more than others. Spending a few days in Yellowstone National Park where hunting is not allowed almost guarantees you will see bears, wolves and other large animals. In other places, where the pressures of hunting requires animals to protect themselves by being concealed, you might get the wilderness experience of camping without seeing any wild animals.

I invite us all to look at our impact on wildlife. If we seek experiences with animals in nature, acquiring good, far-reaching photo equipment is key. In the words of one of the Web of Life Foundation volunteers, "I am so excited about my new telephoto lens. Now I can stay away from the animals and still photograph them when the opportunity arises without doing harm."

The same holds true for habitat. Without it wildlife would not be able to exist. We must treat the natural world with care, walk lightly on the land and leave the area looking natural and undisturbed. Often this can be accomplished by simply staying on established roads and trails. After all we are not just a visitor or intruder but another member of the ecosystem, the web of life.

By heeding these pointers we can combine our love for wildlife

photography with our care for wildlife and wildlands and make sure that the animals and natural environment thrive.

We can also share our photos with one another. That way we can all be part of this wonderful adventure called wilderness and create the personal connections to it that will help us protect our wild places and animals for all the generations to come.

Following are some examples of ethical wildlife photography for your enjoyment

Wild bison in Yellowstone National Park, Elke Duerr

Mexican Gray Wolf, Elke Duerr

Squirrel following me to talk to me, Elke Duerr

Awesome story of nature intelligence

Dormice are rodents that are predominantly found in Europe. Their numbers are connected to beech nuts and during years with lots of beech nuts they become abundant. What is so fascinating about them is that their numbers do not go up during the year following the abundant nut harvest which is the case with other animals, like the mice, but they seem to show up in droves right when the nuts are ready to be eaten, that very same year. And if there is not enough food the following year then their numbers correspond to that situation right away and there are far fewer dormice than the year before.

People noticed this fact in the past and attributed it to the “work of the devil” like it is illustrated in the drawing from Europe, see below

Medieval depiction of dormice

Fortunately we have moved on from that notion of the past. New research has shown that it is the animals’ innate intelligence and instinctual nature that is working to their benefit. Dormice go into hibernation in October and do not wake up until April/May. Upon waking up they check the beech nut food situation for that year probably by checking on the abundance or lack of beech nut flowers. If there happens to be enough food coming they stay awake and are out and about in large numbers. If that is not the case they go back to sleep and most of them do not wake up until the next spring to check on the food situation again. The overall number of dormice does not change that much like it does with mice i.e., but the number of ACTIVE dormice changes drastically every year depending on their food source situation. Their reproduction rate, unlike that of mice is slow and they live a relatively long life of up to 10 years. They are immensely important to the ecosystem as they are a major food source for lynx, fox, owls, weasels and birds of prey.

But they also affect the food chain in many other ways: If there are lots of beech nuts, many dormice decide to stay awake and hence become food for the lynx. That year the lynx will not kill as many deer and the deer population will go up. It is the beech nuts that determine via dormice and lynx how many deer will survive. It is that simple: Everything is truly interconnected and we cannot take anything out of the web of life.

Messages from the Animals-Otter Love

We are delighted that our first episode and pilot project “Otter Love” from our series “Messages from the Animals has been accepted to two film festivals and has garnered two awards so far, best director and best pilot of series. The word is getting out! Thank you so very much for your support, we will be producing more episodes this summer, the wild horses and the Grizzlies are next! Happy Summer!

Next adventure in Montana

After a 2 1/2 month long outreach tour up North and work for our last wild migratory Caribou, we will be working for our wild ones in Montana again. Next film screening:

December 10th 2018, Whitefish Community Library, 7pm

Stories of Wolves-The Lobo returns Film Screening and Q&A

Please join us for a Screening of the award winning documentary film “Stories of Wolves: the Lobo Returns” Produced and Directed by Elke Duerr, this coming Saturday August 12, 2017,  7 PM, at the South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway Blvd SE, Albuquerque, MN.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Producer and Director Elke Duerr

“Stories of Wolves: the Lobo Returns” is about the recovery efforts of the Mexican Gray Wolf, the most endangered land mammal in all of North America. Today there are only an estimated 100  Mexican Gray wolves living in the wild. In the film conservationists and ranchers weigh in on how to manage gray wolves. “Stories of Wolves” explores the complex issues between humans & wild wolves. Ultimately, it is about the vanishing wildness inside and outside of us. We all belong in the Web Of Life. 

“Stories of Wolves: the Lobo Returns” trailer: https://vimeo.com/182908392

Tickets $10 in advance or at the door. Doors open 6:30pm. All proceeds benefit film screenings in wolf country.  www.southbroadwaytickets.com. 505-848-1320 

Water gives me life-A message from Elke

Hello everybody,

my name is Elke Duerr and I am a filmmaker, photographer, author and the founder of the non profit 501 (c)(3) Web of Life Foundation, W.O.L.F.  www.weboflifefoundation.net. Today I invite you to be a part of my mission and life’s work: The reconnection of humans to nature in all of her splendor and to all of her creatures, plants and minerals. 

After producing two award winning documentaries: “Stories of Wolves-The lobo returns” and “Bison Nation Walking Sacred Sites” which just recently received an honorable mention for a humanitarian award, I currently am in the process of working on my third documentary: “Water is our Relative-Water is Alive” about the significance of water and her animals for the planet, humanity, the future generations and the human heart. Did you know that a newborn baby is %75 water? That an adult body contains %50-60 water. Water is truly our relative. Water is ALIVE!

I recently came to the realization that only together, with as much positive energy and love for water as possible can we make a difference. Not every body is able to go out in the field, make human and animal connections, witness, interview and film. If the thought of supporting water and the preservation of her purity and sustainability for the next generations to come has crossed your mind before, here is a very practical opportunity for you to contribute your energy, resources and good intention to the water project. 

In the midst of the Standing Rock water protector movement I came to the conclusion that there must be a reason for so many humans to come together to protect our water, to put their lives on the line for water. The movement for the protection and preservation of water is growing. As a filmmaker I started to ask myself deeper questions:

What is it that connects us humans to water? How can we be an active part in the restoration of all beings and things connected to water and water Herself?

Why is water so important and how can we bring this deep and resonationg message to the general public? 

At the moment I am working with scientists, citizens, students and water recreators to document what is being done to preserve our precious coral reefs and sea water quality.

Still water, rain water, the rain forest and springs all will be part of my exploration of the water subject next.

My journey to gather the water stories of old and explore the ancient human-water relationship will lead me to indigenous communities throughout the US and Canada where I will be conducting film screenings and outreach talks. Funds raised will be utilized to purchase equipment, pay for editing expenses, traveling.

As I am traveling to obtain footage and interviews I am also doing film screenings of my previous documentaries and promoting the message that my book “Wolves and Humans-a new story of coexistence” is spreading and outreach presentations in the schools, the academic community and the larger public.

Please consider being a part of this mission by donating to the project. Every donor will receive alink to the completed film, no exceptions, every body and every donation matters, donors of $500 will be included in the credits and donations of a $1000 and more will be receiving a free animal communication session with me and the donors will be included in the credits.

Let’s make every minute count with our love, care and concern for the health of water, of the animals, plants and minerals, of humanity and the whole planet. The time is now and we are it! Everybody counts, everybody is important! Together we can move mountains!

Thank you! Danke! Merci! Gracias! Grazie! Tak! 

Please donate to the project at the link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/water-gives-me-life

Hello, World!

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https://www.gofundme.com/water-gives-me-life

Red Carpet Event

After years of working on it, filming, conceiving, Interviewing, meditating, doing and attending ceremony for the return of the bison, gestating, experiencing, migrating and learning I completed editing, fine tuning, putting together, assembling, exporting, synching, perfecting, looking at "Bison Nation", my upcoming doc about our last wild bison in the Northern Hemisphere. Please join us for the Premiere in Albuquerque on October 29th at 6pm at the Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center, 6500 Coors Blvd. NW. Outdoor event. Please bring a blanket and lawn chair.

Ethical Wildlife Photography- Photo on how not to do it ...

Take Only Photos, Leave Only Footprints . . . Safely

BY ELKE DUERR

"If we want to preserve our precious wildlife and wildland resources, we must all learn to follow basic guidelines when we view and photograph wildlife."

—General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army retired

    It is a privilege to watch and photograph wildlife in its natural habitat.  Nowadays, with nearly everyone in the wild armed with a camera, whether it’s a camera phone or professional photography and videography equipment, new questions have come up: What kind of conduct is ethical when it comes to wildlife photography, and what endangers the safety and wellbeing of photographer, wild animal and wildland?

    Many of us are not aware of our natural sense of safe distance from and conduct toward wild animals. Some people view wild animals as part of the landscape, there for our enjoyment. Yet wild animals have their own personhood, so to speak. Some form family units similar to human families, often building strong, lifelong bonds with one another. They have roles to fulfill within their family structure, no matter what that structure might be, and in general are part of a picture larger than many humans can comprehend. Enjoying them is well and good as long as the animals and humans involved are not harmed in the process. We have all heard about tourists who urge their children to inch ever closer to a bear, wolf, elk or bison for a “once-in-a-lifetime” photo op. 

    In fact, I frequently witnessed this kind of behavior when I was visiting Yellowstone National Park last summer. One day an old bison bull was grazing alongside a turn-off in the road when a family stopped to take pictures of their son almost touching the large animal. I was horrified and tried, to no avail, to get them back into their car and to stop teasing and daring the young man to move ever closer to the bull.  

    Meanwhile, the bull's tail was moving into "charge" position; it was held aloft, which can only mean that either charge or "discharge" was about to happen. Since he was at that point, eyeing the people, it most likely meant that he was seriously considering charging. Luckily, the family retreated after taking enough pictures and drove away in the nick of time. 

Wolves and Humans - a new story of coexistence

Watch our short film about wolf-human coexistence:

http://theaudienceawards.com/film/wolves-and-humans-a-new-story-of-coexistence12600

The good neighbor-A story of transformation

On a plane trip I sat next to a very kind and wonderful lady. We started talking and as usual after about 45 seconds I mentioned our wild animal nations and my heart’s desire and life’s work for a healthy coexistence with them.
As it turned out she was on the same page as I and proceeded to tell me the very moving story of her “good neighbor”.
She lives in an area that is frequented by coyotes and bobcats, owls, hawks, and other wild ones that not only hunt rabbits and rodents but also take out the occasional cat who had escaped from the safety of the house.
One day, she recalls a neighbor came and rang her doorbell, imploring her to sign a petition for one of her other neighbors to stop killing the coyotes in the area by trapping and snaring them, then skinning them and hanging their fur in his back yard to dry. A vast majority of the neighbors were taking a stand against this “common” practice since there is no law to protect coyotes from such a fate.
Not only were they against the killing of their wild neighbors but they explicitly stated in their petition that they had moved to the area to be with wild ones and to share their territory since they were aware of the fact that our animal nations had inhabited the area way before they ever did.
Enough people signed to make an impact and the petition was delivered to the coyote hunter.
His response surprised them when they read his letter.
“I have always considered myself to be a good neighbor” it read “and find it shocking to learn that this is not the case in your eyes”. He had been in the area for 40 years and thought that he was doing his neighbors a favor by eradicating the local coyotes for the safety of his fellow human beings and their pets in favor of domestic animals. That was how he had been raised and up this point he had never questioned his stand on wildlife.
It took his neighbors’ letter to trigger a change of heart on his part.
Please never let us forget the power of We, the power of our collective heart and voice paired with education. Many of us are “only” perpetuating in good faith what they have learned from those that came before them. It