Image above: Working Circle rancher partners participating in a stockmanship clinic with Whit Hibbard

​Our Many Rancher Partners
Working Circle is proud to work directly with ranch families and ranch operations across the west. Our rancher partners' vision and collaborative efforts have led the way in creating a powerful new way forward for wolves, livestock, and people to successfully coexist and thrive on shared lands. 
Our rancher partners comprise the foundation of our work and the majority of the people of Working Circle. 

​On-the-Ground Team
Karin Vardaman
​Executive Director, Co-Founder
  • 40 years in non-profit leadership
  • 40 years experience in wildlife conservation and environmental education
  • 15 years experience in wolf conservation
  • 15 years experience wolf & wildlife tracking/monitoring
  • ​14 years experience in wolf-livestock conflict mitigation practices
  • 10 years experience in conducting on-ranch conflict risk-assessments and conflict risk reduction plan development
  • 10 years of training/experience in stockmanship/ herd management; range riding in active wolf country
  • Member of the California Wolf Management Stakeholder Working Group
  • Diverse ranch & field experience in California, Colorado, Montana, and Oregon
  •  ~ The New Yorker Magazine- July 9, 2019;  The Persuasive Power of the Wolf Lady
     ~ Harvard University, Harvard Business School - Working Circle Case Study: Download File
     ~ Forbes, 50 over 50 Impact List 2021 
     ~ The Wolf Connection - Ranching with Wolves
Along with supporting the direct field work, Karin oversees and guides WC's mission
​Maddie Munro
Program Director
Picture

  • BS Biology; graduated Magna Cum Laude
  • Experienced in:
    • Non-lethal wolf-livestock conflict deterrent tools - use and implementation
    • Wildlife tracking; game camera deployment and monitoring
    • On-the-ground strategy management and implementation
    • Community engagement and logistic planning
    • Back country work 
    • Non-profit operational management
​Maddie manages WC's field programs including outreach, workshops, and field
​activities. Maddie also acts as the wildlife agency and NGO partner liaison.​​
Mike Ensley
Rangeland Program Manager - Pacific West Region
Leading our field efforts, Mike Ensley, comes to us with a strong ranching background:
  • Over 35 years of experience running large and small-scale cattle operations in the high desert, timbered mountains, and coastal country. His experience also includes:
    • Directing crews, rotating pastures, feed management, doctoring, branding, weaning, shipping, flood irrigating, running heavy equipment, and maintaining fences.
    • Running yearling operations in feedlots and open range.​
Mike's ranching with wolves experience:
  • 8 years of managing ranches with active wolf packs and zero cattle loss.
  • Extensive training and experience in Bud William's stockmanship, grazing practices, herd health and nutrition to reduce vulnerability in cattle to predation.
​​Mike works with individual ranchers and ranch operations to reduce the risk of wolf-livestock conflict through practices that provide the co-benefit of increasing ranch viability. He is available for free consultations, conflict risk assessments, direct on-ranch support, and to facilitate workshops and clinics. ​
Dawn Hnatow 
Stockmanship Specialist
  • Renowned master stockwomen, Dawn has made a significant & positive impact on the livestock industry
  • Multi-generational rancher
  • Worked under the mentorship of Bud Williams for numerous years becoming one of few true successors to Bud's work and legacy
  • Owner and Founder of Cattle Up Stockmanship
  • ​Experienced clinician and consultant specializing in the art of effective and efficient cattle handling resulting in:
    • Increased productivity and economic bottom line
    • Decreased stress, shrinkage, morbidity and mortality
    • Tangible solutions to reducing wolf-livestock conflict risk.​
Dawn acts as WC's lead clinician and also offers direct on-ranch consultation, on-going support, and training
​
Dawn is a lifetime cattle rancher born into a ranching family in Canada. As Bud William's successor, Dawn has made a tremendous positive impact on the livestock industry by sharing and advancing her philosophy and game-changing principles and techniques of proper cattle handling. ​
On-Ranch Consultants and Clinician Partners
Hilary and Andrew Anderson, Montana Cattle Ranchers
  • Wolf-Livestock Conflict and Herd Management Partners/Advisors/Clinicians
  • ​Regenerative Ranching Specialists 
~ National Geographic - August 30, 2019 ; Discovering Hope on the Range​