Living at WSWS

Volunteers at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary all live on the property in various housing arrangements and share a volunteer kitchen, bathroom, and shower. Sanctuary work is done five days a week, with everyone being personally assigned two days off. After work hours and during days off, volunteers may enjoy various personal activities as well as enjoying the opportunities offered by the area. Wild Spirit is off of route 53, a highway with many well-known national landmarks such as El Malpais, El Morro National Monument, Banderas Volcano and Ice Caves, Zuni Pueblo, as well as other attractions.

There are also many scenic areas for various hiking, biking, and exploring trips. In such an isolated area, much of the land has been left untouched by humans in many decades, and thus, there is much to be explored and enjoyed.

With so few people in such an isolated area, volunteers normally find that while given all the alone time they wish, strong bonds are quickly formed with other residents of the sanctuary, both two-legged and four-legged. In after hours, volunteers often group around a campfire or enjoy a group-prepared meal. Volunteers also often enjoy grouping together to travel into town whether to go out to dinner, visit Albuquerque Aquarium or Zoo, or do other site-seeing and shopping.

The holiday season is also time when volunteers get together. Since everyone is usually far away from home, the people at WSWS quickly become a new family. Although work still needs to be done, holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Fourth of July usually means a big group dinner with lots of fun.

Beyond the multitude of educational information offered directly by working at the Sanctuary, living here provides the opportunity to learn much about one's self, as well as the Mexican and Native American culture of the area, New Mexican wildlife, vegetation and landscape.

Whether enjoying your time reading a book in the shade during the summer or by a fire in the winter, sitting peacefully in an enclosure spending time with an animal, enjoying social activities with fellow volunteers or exploring the surrounding New Mexican area, life at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary provides off-time filled with peaceful enjoyment.