Meet Lane Justus, the newest member of the Wood River Wolf Project Field team for the 2022 season. "I'm so excited to return to Idaho and thankful for the opportunity to work with such a beautiful animal in an area I love," she told us.
Lane is bilingual and brings extensive experience to the project. In 2021, Lane worked with the University of Idaho and Idaho Fish and Game on grouse and grazing research, working collaboratively with ranchers in the Pahsimeroi Valley on grazing and species monitoring. Before that she worked for the Nature Conservancy in Washington State, taught English in Mexico and spent time working with Rainbow trout, ray, sea turtle, fish and shark species in Costa Rica. She has also been involved with fishery and beaver research projects in her home state of Arkansas. Welcome Lane!
Lane will join Logan Miller, Project Field Manager for the Wood River Wolf Project. Logan is back for his third year in 2022. He has exceptional leadership and communication skills as shown in his regular blogs https://www.woodriverwolfproject/org and this video, ‘How far would you go to save your favorite animal?’ https://youtu.be/tteUEfOGqjE
The field team is charged with helping to achieve our mission of working to promote coexistence between wolves and sheep in the 300,000 acre project area. Logan has a B.S. in Agricultural Sustainability and a wealth of experience working with Wolf conservation in the Mexican recovery region and solar energy development and other conservation projects. He also spent time working for the U.S. Forest Service.
Logan has enjoyed great success working with sheep herders to distribute nonlethal equipment and to train them in the use of the equipment to save sheep from depredation. His efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in sheep losses – and the killing of wolves. Last season, of the 14,000 sheep grazing the area, only 3 sheep were lost.
Both Logan and Lane are bilingual; a crucial skill in working with herders who come to the United States on work permits, usually from South American countries that raise sheep.
Nonlethal equipment given to ranchers and herders by the Wood River Wolf Project include blank pistols, fox lights, airhorns, speakers, solar panels and headlamps and accessories. We also include a tent, sleeping bag and pad, binoculars, and accessories. We encourage staff and herders to spend nights sleeping with the sheep bands during times when it’s known that wolves are nearby.
A welcome gathering hosted by the Wood River Wolf Project will be held in June.
