CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. — A volunteer from the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center led Ke’nai, a young male timberwolf, into the circle of SAFE BASE students. They rocked back and forth in anticipation as the wild animal moved from person to person, letting them pet its soft black fur. THE NEXT activity had SAFE BASE students “digging deeper” into the local mining history at the Mollie Kathleen mine, which overlooks the town of Cripple Creek.
The group had traveled from Leadville earlier Thursday morning, and had arrived at the preserve at around noon. The compound sits outside of Cripple Creek, in the Rocky Mountains. Inside its wire fences live some of the mountains’ most beautiful and endangered wolf species. The students had the chance to examine timber wolves, red foxes, arctic wolves, coyotes and not-to-be-forgotten, Burrito the donkey.
The tour culminated in the petting session with Ke’nai. Darlene, the owner of the CWWC, said the young timber wolf will be used as an ambassador for the preserve — a social animal meant to help educate students on the state of the wolf in North America.
Many of the wolf species are on the endangered species list, and the preserve’s main goal is to help raise awareness, and respect, for the elusive and beautiful beasts.
The students finished the tour by orchestrating a group howl — the wolves, comfortable in the shade of their large enclosures joined in, threw back their heads and joined in with the haunting chorus.
For more information about the CWWC, and to see what you can do to help raise awareness for the protection of North America’s wolf population, visit wolfeducation.org.
From the outside, the mine is not much to look at, merely an iron tower surrounded by several wooden buildings. Its true draw runs underneath.
The students loaded into small iron cages, which lowered 1,000 feet into the earth at 500-feet per minute. While deemed safe, there were some concerns.
“I though it was scary at first,” Emma McBurney, a fifth grader, said of her trip underground.
When they reached the floor of the mine, the tour guide, Jack, gave them a glimpse into the rich history of mining. The students filed down dark corridors, donned in hard hats, as Jack operated everything from a hammer and chisel to the most recent renovations — large hydraulic jacks that break apart tough granite. He also explained the process of dynamite placement, and the tough lives miners live on a daily basis.
“It would have been really hard,” Zareona Pulley said of the life of a miner.
Kyler Coats, a seventh grader, said he was happy to know how to avoid wasting his time on worthless minerals.
“We figured out what pyrite is — it’s fool’s gold!” he said. But, he described his mine experience with one word, “epic.”
The students had a chance to ride in a hydraulic cart, before taking a lift to the surface.
Adventure sparks learning
