Coyote Yipps

These are Hamlin’s Coyote Ambassadors, sitting in front of their own coyote drawing.

These young students are working on helping to solve problems in their community. They were particularly interested in how humans and coyotes coexist and in coyotes in general. They went through my website and some articles about me and became fascinated by all I have done to advocate for coyotes. They are hoping to do the same! What a compliment! So they invited me to meet with them to help them learn, and to answer a few of their questions.

Their first-grade teacher at Hamlin, Brynne Levy, of course, is behind igniting their enthusiasm and getting them involved. I felt her inspiring guidance and encouragement to these kids throughout my visit with them.

We met in their school’s lobby which doubles up as a meeting area. These kids came well prepared! They each had written out their questions beforehand, and sometimes they added more questions inspired by our discussion.

They asked about dens, where the coyotes came from when they returned in 2002, why there had been no coyotes before then, and HOW they got here. They asked how I myself became so interested in them. I was asked about my most dangerous encounter: I explained that it’s not people, but dogs who pose, and are posed with, danger from a coyote. They already knew the best guideline for coexistence and how to handle a coyote encounter: leave them alone; go the other way. They understood the reasons behind this guideline, and not that it was simply a rule to be followed.

The kids asked about population size: there are 50 to 60 adult coyotes here on 17 territories. The total population ranges from about 80 to 100.

I was asked about the benefits of having coyotes around: although they get rid of rats, we decided that there doesn’t really have to be a BENEFIT beyond existing and being WHO they are. They are *enough*. We wondered what the benefits of humans are to the environment. Yikes!

And here is their interview write-up, which they’ve generously allowed me to post! Thank you, girls! I had a wonderful time meeting you, chatting, answering your questions. I know you’ll all make super Coyote Ambassadors!

Click on the pages above to enlarge them and scroll through them for easier reading.

By the way, among the interviews I’ve had, including The Guardian, The NYT, Sacramento Bee, KQED, SFGate, High Country News and more, this interview to date has been one of my most important: these young girls will be in charge in only a few short years. Go Coyote Ambassadors!!