“Living With Wolves” co-founder Jim Dutcher. Credit: Jim and Jamie Dutcher, The Hidden Life of Wolves

From time to time on the blog, we share examples of good nonprofit storytelling…

In the 1990s, Jim and Jamie Dutcher set out to study and film a pack of wolves — the Sawtooth Pack, in Idaho. They lived in a tent and yurt for six years on the pack’s territory, making that the first time that wolves had been documented quite so intimately.

They discovered what intelligent, caring and social animals wolves are, and even came to know the “personalities” (wolfalities?) of individuals in the pack. They also learned what a critical role wolves play in the ecosystem.

The couple produced three documentary films, including this one, and a book. They also started an organization, Living With Wolves, that, to this day, advocates for wolves and a coexistence between wolves and people on the same land — which runs up against the hunting and poor wildlife management practices that threaten wolves.

Living With Wolves has some excellent stories on its website, including about the Sawtooth Pack.

Also visit the organization’s Facebook page.