For the group that hosts the Dads Gone Wild event in October, wild isn’t its middle name. Wild is its first.

Wildlife Society is an organization on campus for those interested in wildlife and the professions in the field. The club serves to provide experience and connections for their members.

“We’re a student chapter of the national organization,” said senior wildlife ecology major and club vice president Tia Monzingo. “We do a lot of things to give members skills that will help in professional lives.”

Ashley O’Bright, senior and club secretary, said a typical meeting involves different sorts of activities from talking about upcoming events to animal-themed movie nights. Members will also listen to speakers or go on field trips to wildlife facilities.

One of the facilities they visit is the Oak Creek Feeding Station in Yakima. In exchange for volunteer work such as fence maintenance, the members go out on the trucks that push out hay for the elk to eat.

“With most of these things we do, it’s not just to hang out,” Monzingo said. “We usually get to do behind-the-scenes stuff.”

Heather Brower, senior and club treasurer, described the club as a fun get-together for people interested in wildlife, good for anyone who loves nature. A member for a year now, she said her experience so far has been positive and welcoming.

An annual field trip they take is to the Western Region Student Conclave, where Wildlife Society chapters from all over the western half of the country gather for activities such as geocaching and trivia challenges.

Last year, when the event was held in Nebraska, the Wildlife Society members got to meet a National Geographic photographer, who taught them about wildlife photography. Then the members went to a nearby river to photograph migrating cranes.

“It’s nice to be part of a club that’s able to get together with other clubs who do the same thing (we do),” O’Bright said.

Along with their field trips, Wildlife Society hosts Dad’s Gone Wild, a Dad’s Weekend event meant to get the name of the club out there, and teach other people about the work of the club and other wildlife professionals.

Started last year, the event will be hosted at the WSU Arboretum and Wildlife Center this year. Monzingo said there will be food, trail trivia challenges, and the Forestry Club will have a cross cutting contest to see who can saw through a piece of wood the fastest.

“We felt it would be a good fundraising and educational opportunity,” she said. “(The Arboretum) is nice because it is so close and there’s a pond.”

Brower said one of the interesting things about the club is the amount of exposure the members get to wildlife. Members work with people who want to bring them in and create more interest and experience with the field.

“If you want to go into a wildlife related course, Wildlife Society is a giant help to get experience and the contacts to get into it,” Brower said.

Follow Wildlife Society at www.facebook.com/groups/wsuwildlife/ and wsuwildlife.tumbler.com for upcoming meetings and events.