I was at the Endangered Wolf Center, one of the many facilities dedicated to saving the Mexican gray wolf from the brink of extinction. In the 1970s, this species came within just one female of being completely wiped out. But thanks to captive breeding programs like the one at the Endangered Wolf Center, a future for these wolves was made possible. In 1998, the first Mexican wolves were reintroduced to the wild. Now, I was about to play a small but unforgettable role in that story.

Not only was I helping transport these wolves to their pre-release site—I was also documenting the entire journey. This was my first-ever wildlife documentary. Little did I know, that film would go on to screen at festivals around the world, win multiple awards, and reach thousands of people, bringing the story of the Mexican wolf to audiences far and wide.

Not bad for a first-time filmmaker, right?

You can actually watch that film today at ReelEarthFilms.org. But let’s get back to the story.

After a four-hour flight from St. Louis to New Mexico—thanks to the generous support of Lighthawk Aviation, which donates flights for conservation efforts—we could see the vast landscapes below. This was where these wolves would soon have their first taste of freedom.

We met with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for managing the wild Mexican wolf population, and carefully loaded the wolves into transport vehicles for the long drive to Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. This location would serve as their boot camp for the wild. Here, they’d receive minimal human contact to prepare them for the life that awaited them beyond captivity.

As we arrived at the facility, the weight of the moment hit me. We were about to release a female wolf named Ernesta. The hope was that she would pair with one of the males from the Endangered Wolf Center and go on to have pups, strengthening the genetics of the wild population.

I was so excited that I actually struggled to open the latch on her crate to set her free.

And then… she was gone. Ernesta bolted into her new home, just one step away from freedom. At the time, none of us could have predicted just how important she would become to the future of the Mexican wolf program.

Later, we released the two males—one of whom, Wesley, ended up forming a bond with Ernesta. Seeing these wolves take their first steps toward a wild existence was indescribable. And yet, my role wasn’t finished. I had one last responsibility: distributing frozen meat logs throughout the enclosures to mimic the sporadic feeding schedule they’d experience in the wild. Walking into an enclosure filled with nearly wild wolves, carrying hunks of meat, was a moment I’ll never forget.

And despite all the fear-mongering about wolves being dangerous, bloodthirsty animals, they wanted nothing to do with me. Even after days without food, they were far more afraid of me than I was of them. That moment reaffirmed everything I had come to understand about these misunderstood predators.

This experience wasn’t just about Ernesta’s release—it was about mine. This was the moment I knew I wanted to be a wildlife filmmaker. That I could be a wildlife filmmaker. And that my work could make a real impact.

Now, I’m diving back into the archives and releasing never-before-seen footage from this project—raw, behind-the-scenes moments that didn’t make it into the original documentary. If you’ve ever wanted to see what it’s really like behind the camera while filming a conservation story, this is your chance.

I’ll be sharing these exclusive clips and stories over on my Patreon. As a patron, you’ll get access to rare footage, insights from the field, and even behind-the-scenes looks at my current wildlife filmmaking projects.

Join me on this journey. Help support independent wildlife filmmaking. And get an insider’s view into the wild stories that don’t always make it to the final cut.

See you over on Patreon—let’s keep telling these stories together.

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