Our Mission

Our mission is to advance research and education that promotes the conservation of predators and their prey, especially the wolves and moose of Isle Royale. We envision a world where humans and predators flourish.

Six Decades of Scientific Inquiry

  • 1958-1959

    Durward Allen and L. David Mech begin the Wolf-Moose Project. Mech started field work in summer 1958, followed by the first winter study in 1959.

  • 1970

    Rolf Peterson begins work on the project as a graduate student. In 1975, Rolf becomes the Lead Researcher and moves the project to Michigan Tech.

  • 1980

    Canine Parvovirus inadvertently introduced to the island; the wolf population collapses from 50 wolves to 14 within 2 years.

  • 1996

    After an especially harsh winter, the moose population collapses through starvation from 2,400 to 900 moose.

  • 1997

    Old Gray Guy travels across a rare ice bridge to the island and injects new genes. 11 years later, wolf scats were analyzed for identification via DNA.

  • 2011

    3 wolves, including the alpha male, die in an abandoned mine shaft, discovered in 2012.

  • 2014-2015

    Wolf population drops from a low of 9 to 3; the three are all highly inbred.

  • 2019

    After several years of evaluation, the National Park Service restarts the wolf population with an infusion of 19 new wolves. The last 2 island born wolves die.

  • 2024

    El Nino winter is the warmest on record; due to poor ice condition, the plane has no safe place to land and Winter Study is halted after 2 weeks.

The Study Needs Your Help

We formed the Wolf-Moose Foundation to ensure continuation of this historic study. With the uncertain nature of grants, we need your donation to secure the Study’s future.

A Unique Ecological Legacy

  • Single Apex Predator

    Understanding complex pack dynamics and ecological impacts

  • Single Primary Prey

    Analyzing population dynamics with wolves, parasites, and limited food sources

  • Network of Food Sources

    Balsam Fir and other vegetation are food sources and provide information about moose population

  • Network of Relationships

    This unique island laboratory allows us to learn about our own role in the ecosystem

Endow an Evolving Laboratory

What will the next six decades teach us about ecological systems, our impact on the environment, our relationship to animals and their relationships to each other, and even our own human health by continuing observation?