Once upon a time, in the railyard of Wisconsin politics, there stood a long heavy train loaded with fragile cargo—wolves, cranes, otters, frogs, loons, bears, turtles—everything wild.

The big shiny engines rolled by.

“No,” snorted the Passenger Liner. “I’m too busy with federal policy.”

“No,” grunted the Freight Hauler. “Too much weight, too much risk.”

The animals whimpered. Nobody would help them.

But from the back switch, a little blue engine appeared—Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance.

Nobody expected her. She was little. She was tired. She had no foundation money, no big donors, no political connections.

Still, she said nothing. Just hooked up the cars and started to chug.

The First Mountain – 2012-2020

Up the grade she went. Coal burning. Wheels slipping.

Testimony after testimony. Letter after letter. Fighting the Sporting Heritage Act. Demanding agency reform.

Higher. Harder. The track seemed to disappear into the clouds.

Victory – October 2021

And then—gavel down, hunt stopped—she rolled to the other side smooth as smoke.

October 2021. Federal court injunction. Wolf hunt: BLOCKED.

200+ wolves saved.

The big engines looked up from the yard. “How did she…?”

But she was already backing up for another load.

The Next Mountain – Lawsuits and Litigation

2022: Appellate court challenge to DNR’s wolf management plan.

2023: Federal court filings. State administrative hearings.

2024: State petition to list wolves as threatened/endangered.

Each mountain steeper than the last. Each cargo heavier.

But the little engine knows something the big ones don’t:

You don’t need to be big. You just need to keep moving.

The Education Track

But fighting in court wasn’t enough. The little engine knew she needed to reach hearts and minds.

Enter Luna—the robotic wolf ambassador. Schools. Libraries. Community centers.

100+ education sessions. Children’s eyes lighting up. Teachers requesting more.

Wildlife Wednesdays every week. Training sessions. Comment writing parties.

Form letters rejected—every comment unique, personal, powerful.

The 90% of people who love wildlife without killing it—finally speaking up. Finally demanding their seat at the table.

Amplifying the Message

Radio stations. Podcasts. Regional press. YouTube channel.

Legislative testimony to Senator Tammy Baldwin. Coalition press releases with Project Coyote. WPR coverage.

Feature films. “Big Not Bad” documentary. Farmer testimonies. Conference recordings.

Every platform. Every voice. Every angle.

Making noise nobody could ignore.

The White Paper – Exposing the Networks

She investigated the corruption.

Decade-long networks mapped. Hunting lobbies. Dark money organizations. Administrative manipulation.

The connections between Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, Timber Wolf Alliance, Safari Club International, and DNR officials.

The revolving door. The rigged system.

All documented. All exposed.

A blueprint for dismantling corrupt wildlife management.

And Now – The Steepest Mountain: HR 845

And there she is again—little, sooty, wheels wobbling, steam low.

The big ones laugh. “Again? Her? That little engine?”

Yes.

HR 845. Federal delisting. Judicial review stripped. Senate vote coming.

This mountain’s taller. Steeper. Sneakier. The tracks are half-gone.

But she doesn’t flinch.

She’s seen this slope before. She knows every switch, every drop of sweat, every late-night filing, every court deadline, every legislative trick.

She knows the cargo matters more than the odds.

She Doesn’t Say a Word

She just backs up. Couples on. Lets out a soft whistle.

And up they go.

Again.