By Oscar Martinez, illustrator

My name is Oscar Martinez, and I am a student at Estrella Mountain Community College. Ever since I was a kid, I have always admired creating stories and showcasing my artwork. When I heard about the project on the Mexican gray wolf from my environmental biology class teacher, Scott Milne, I knew that this was a million-to-one chance that I had been looking for.

Throughout the last academic year I learned so much about the Mexican gray wolves and their importance to the environment. When I joined the project at the beginning of January, I became one of the illustrators, designing the Mexican gray wolf and ranchers, the environment of the Flagstaff and White Mountain areas, and the Arizona I-40 highway.

In March we were able to recruit more artists to the project and create more pages for the book. They have shown great work and the artwork is amazing. Because many of our artists have their own style, we had to navigate some rewrites and visual differences, but in the overall process we were able to communicate with each member of the team. I have learned to be a better team player. Everyone has committed themselves — writers, illustrators, and others — and shown that wolves are not just bad animals, but a keystone species that keeps balance in the ecosystem.