In the weeks leading up to the recent Justseeds retreat in scenic McMinnville OR, Mazatl and I painted a mural on the front of the Alleyway Bar on Alberta St. in Portland. Our subject: wolves, and one wolf in particular- the wolf known as OR-7, now referred to as Journey in recognition of his incredible traverse of Oregon and California during 2012 in search of a mate. When he stepped into California, OR-7 was the first wolf in that state in nearly one hundred years. His voyage and his determination are great symbols for the efforts to return wild wolf populations to the West, and in turn to help to bring back some of the stability and biodiversity that top predators create. In lands ravaged by industrial forestry, agriculture, and development, wolves are messengers of the wild future that hopefully lies beyond the bad ideas that settler capitalism has imposed on this landscape. There’s still a long way to go- but the news that OR-7 recently found a mate, and has produced a litter of pups, is another reason to cheer. For a wilder world!
(Click through for a couple more images)

Latter photo by Chris Strickland. Thanks Chris!