Throughout the month of June, there will be a series of events in RINO, north of Lodo in Denver, to support the return of the gray wolf in Colorado: Live music on June 24 by the local band, Lost Walks; an educational event on June 9 at the Patagonia store; a mural dedication on June 18; a wolf brewery passport, and more.
Many local artists, including Alexandrea Pangburn, Julia Williams, Patrick Maxcy, and Armando Silva donated their works.
There will not only be art, but the Endangered Species Coalition, whose mission is to stop the human-caused extinction of our nation’s at-risk species, has also worked with numerous local breweries to create a wolf-themed passport. The passport will allow visitors to enjoy different breweries. If all the stamps are collected, then the person becomes eligible for different prizes.
Dillon Hanson-Ahumada, Denver-based, Southern Rockies Representative for the Endangered Species Coalition stated in a news release: “June is a great time to get out and about in Denver and learn about wolves and the importance of having wolves back in the mountains of Colorado.”
Colorado voters approved the reintroduction of the gray wolves on the 2020 ballot. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department is currently planning the different stages of reintroducing them to the Colorado environment. There have been studies suggesting that the gray wolf can be very beneficial to an ecosystem because of their instincts to hunt the weak and sick animals. This strengthens the deer and elk herds and lowers the chances of disease spreading through the herd killing more animals. A study conducted in Wyoming concluded that the presence of the gray wolf also increases the rate of survival for antelope fawns, due to the grey wolf hunting coyotes.
Although there are many benefits to reintroducing gray wolves, some are concerned about gray wolves attacking cattle.
Hanson-Ahumada stated in an interview that “people have to come together to find solutions for ranch owners and wolves to co-exist.”
It is unknown if the murals will represent this criticism because they have not been finished, and the artists have 100% creative control over them. The only theme is to have wolves depicted in the mural, and other than that, it is based on the artist’s perspective, say organizers.
“I want to emphasize this is a great conservation achievement, to reintroduce grey wolves into their natural habitat. Colorado should be very proud of this,” Hanson-Ahumada told the Colorado Times Recorder.
