The Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative, in collaboration with ConBio and Westies SIGs, is hosting a symposium on ranching and large carnivore interactions in the West. The symposium will kick off on Thursday evening, February 2nd at 6:00 pm with a film screening of The Range Riders in Burke. *Note updated time to account for the Bernie Mayer conversation from 4-6 pm*

Friday, February 3rd, from 12 to 5 pm on the 3rd floor of Kroon Hall, the symposium will include panels and breakout sessions on topics ranging from how ranchers deal with loss and compensation, to strategies for reducing predation on livestock, to predator ecology and the sociology of conflict and coexistence with carnivores in the American West. Lunch will be provided.

See below for the symposium agenda and make sure to click to register! We hope to see you there!

Film Screening Thursday, February 2nd, 6:00 pm | Burke Auditorium

Come for a sneak preview of The Range Riders, an independent documentary film directed by Susan Kucera features several people in the ranching world dealing with the expanding wolf population, particularly in Washington, Montana and Wyoming. One of the main characters is a rancher (Kathy) in eastern Washington who is nervous about her animals as wolves are recolonizing. Others are ranchers or range riders who are learning to coexist with large carnivores. Featuring special guest Matt Barnes, of People and Carnivores, who worked with a number of ranchers and managers on the Union Pass Project. Matt will be available after the screening for questions.

Symposium Agenda for Friday, February 3rd 2017

Welcome and Introduction

12-1 PM | Burke Auditorium | Indy Burke & Charlie Bettigole

Session 1a: Role of carnivores in promoting biodiversity & Predator biology

1-2 PM | Kroon 321 | Os Schmitz & Dan Thompson

Session 1b: Sociology of Conflict & Building Social Tolerance

1-2 PM | Kroon 319 | Penny Maldonado, Barbara Cozzens, & Hannah Jaicks

Session 2a: Loss & Compensation

2-3 PM | Kroon 321 | Dan Thompson, Zack Strong, Jeff Bectell, & Freddie Botur

Session 2b: Strategies for prevention: Guard Animals

2-3 PM | Kroon 319 | Danny Kinka, Barbara Cozzens, & Mikael Cejtin

Session 3a: Strategies for loss prevention: Wildlife Services

3-4 PM | Kroon 321 | Zack Strong

Session 3b: Strategies for loss prevention: Infrastructure

3-4 PM | Kroon 319 | Matt Barnes, Mikael Cejtin, Jeff Bectell

Working Together

4-5 PM | Burke Auditorium | Matt Barnes, Penny Maldonado, Freddie Botur, and Dan Thompson

Ucross Spring Lecture Series: Ranching with Carnivores: Modern Perspectives on Coexistence