SMYRNA – This Sunday, patrons will climb up a weaving Smyrna trail to the approaching sound of howling wolves at the Wolf Mountain Nature Center, which is holding its annual Pumpkin Festival.

Wolf Biologist Will Pryor and his partner Sophie Belanger decided four years ago to dedicate their 70 acres of land along with their time and money to build a wolf and fox refuge center atop the rolling hills in the Town of Smyrna.

“I reached that point in my life where I’m living my dream,” said Pryor.

A strong wildlife advocate, Pryor has worked closely with other-non profit groups and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to create a center which now houses five gray wolves and two arctic foxes.

“This is made solely possible through donations, public support and volunteers,” he said. “No one gets paid anything at Wolf Mountain,” he added.

Volunteer Katie Fox help to socialize the wolves when they were puppies and now creates burned carvings and leads hikes for the center.