A message from The Wolf Den Hosts: Our Story

Who we are:

We are Robin Golloher and Benjamin Teskey, a dedicated young couple who met in our first semester of college a few years ago now. Both of us graduated from Sir Sandford Fleming College as Ecosystem Management Technicians in April of 2005, and loved every minute of it!!

We fell upon this place accidentally. We were working for one of our professors, Ernie, cutting a new hiking trail in the bush right across the road, called the Beetle Lake Trail. We stayed at the Wolf Den as guests during this time, and soon found out that the owners of the Wolf Den were looking for a couple to work here for the summer. This was the perfect opportunity, as we really had no place to live, just finishing college and no real plans for the time being. There wasn’t much trail work left for us, so our Professor, who brought us up here, gave us a reference and we got the job. Simple as that! Over the course of the summer we learned that the Wolf Den was up for sale. The owner had built this place with great effort, but didn’t have to the time and energy left to effectively manage this growing business anymore.

The Purchase:

Casually one day, Ben had mentioned to the owner, Jamie that he might like to create something like this in the future. Shortly after that, Jamie came back to us with an offer and a way that we could purchase this amazing place and simply pay him back over the next 15 years. It wasn’t quite that simple and it was a little bit crazy. I mean we had just graduated from college 4 months before! But we decided to give it a shot anyway. We had to figure out how to write a business plan, which we pulled off in about 5 days, (working round the clock mind you). We also had to secure a downpayment, which we eventually received, after much research, through the Haliburton County Business Development Corporation, which accesses government funds to help small businesses get started. It is a great resource, for those who have a dream, but are lacking in the funds to make it happen. Additional investments were secured through creative offerings to friends, family, and guests. With these few components in place we were soon committed and the next 10 months were full of difficult decisions, major learning curves and many sleepless nights. We continued to run the Wolf Den throughout this time and saw it grow and blossom under our management. We fell in love with this place.

Then on August 10, 2006, nearly a full year later, the day came and we became the new owners! Business has been great and we are learning day by day how to most effectively run this place. Although without business backgrounds, we have been prepared for anything and everything by the professors at Fleming College. They taught us the value of working hard, thinking and never giving up. I’m sure we’ve made quite a few mistakes and that more will follow, but were trying our best and giving it a shot, and that’s what its all about right?

The Wolf Den Vision:

To create an ecology education facility while maintaining affordable and comfortable accommodation and eco-tourism related operations.

The Dream:

Our passion is truly the environment, and we believe the best way to protect and honour it, is to teach and educate anyone who is willing to listen about the earth. Many people have lost touch with our Earth Mother, and don’t realize how our fast paced, industrial, commercialised lives are dramatically affecting our earth. It is important to get back in line with the land and understand how it works, in order to fully respect its true worth. This is why we wish to offer the opportunity for people to come here and be immersed in a natural and beautiful setting in which they enjoy, and then learn about the importance of this environment. Being so close to Algonquin Park really affords this opportunity, allowing people to have a protected, amazing place in which to explore so close to us.

Our plan is to still provide year round, affordable and cozy accommodations for a wide variety of guests, but we will to add to that, an environmentally focused learning centre and outdoor education facility. This will unfold throughout the next few years but has already begun through increased awareness of conservation, distributing environmental education pamphlets and by conducting workshops and guided hikes on nature and ecology. As time, funds and knowledge allow we will expand this new branch of the Wolf Den. We are also working on obtaining a sustainable energy demonstration to be put here on site, such as a small wind turbine and/or solar panels. We will have workshops on the equipment and show how they are a viable resource for energy. Education is key.

The Goals:

To overtime add the following additional services and make changes:

• Informative guided hikes in the area
  


• Programs with hands on learning on such things as fire building, outdoor survival, animal observation and tracking, edible and wild plants, ecology, and oneness with the earth
  


• Open a small on-site gift shop and new reception area, in a reclaimed original log cabin, selling local, ethically produced products with minimal to no packaging with items such as Wolf Den clothing, handmade jewellery, natural beauty products, local art, nature books ect.


• Obtain sustainable living working demonstrations such as solar power, wind power, alternative transportation, composting toilets, and permaculture methods
  


• Build additional alternative cabins from methods such as reclaimed wood, used tires, straw bales, rammed earth, & adobe building methods
  Show video presentations on Algonquin’s various animals and plant life, bringing together the ecology of the park


• Create an arboretum trail illustrating local native plant species
  Reduce waste through conservation, intensified recycling, and composting
  Make and post factsheets on native flora and fauna, conservation, and sustainable living practices
  


• Completely switch to environmentally friendly cleaning and toiletries products
  


• Encourage outside educational organizations to recognize and use facilities
  


• Provide public internet services
  


• Provide a shuttle service, and ecotourism tours into the park and local areas
  


• Align strategic partnerships with local outfitting, tourism, environmental and alternative energy companies
  


• Provide increased information about Algonquin Park
  

* Please note that these goals will take time and will be heavily influenced by financial viability and time

Final note:

The Wolf Den is truly a magical place where people can get together from all around the World. And although it may look as though it is simply an affordable, comfortable place to spend the night, the Wolf Den is much more. It is a launching pad, a place in which we can grow and create real learning opportunities to educate the public. A place where we can make a difference in this place we all call home, our EARTH.

How you can help us succeed:

• Spread the word about our place to your family and friends
  


• Take some brochures and pass them out
  


• Write to your favorite guide book about the Wolf Den
  


• Come back for another visit
  


• Organize a group trip of your friends, a club or family reunion
  


• Go online and write a review about your stay here. Some places to go online for travel reviews such as:
  worldweb.com, igougo.com, tripadvisor.com, gusto.com,
  travelpost.com, realtravel.com, travelblog.org