"Human nature drags us, often without our consent or awareness, to uncritically honor the reasons held by those with whom we most closely identify and to prejudicially dismiss the reasons of those who seem different. Breaking that grip requires special effort."
— John A. Vucetich, Restoring the Balance (2021)
WHO WE ARE
The Southwest Colorado Wolf Cooperative is an unincorporated association of individuals who came together in 2018 and organized the Durango Wolf Symposium that took place at Fort Lewis College and the Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center. We come from a wide variety of backgrounds and include biologists and other scientists, professors and school teachers, medical professionals, small business owners, retired National Park Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife employees, students, and individuals who were raised on farms and ranches.
Collectively, we support the restoration of wolves to their vital role as apex predators in Colorado’s ecosystems. We also believe in the importance of outreach to and dialogue with other community members, including stakeholders who may fear and oppose the return of wolves to Colorado. Our hope is that, through good-faith dialogue and mutual learning experiences, we can minimize the potential adverse effects of wolves on human stakeholders and maximize the benefits of wolves’ presence on our landscapes.