Keynote: Suzanne Asha Stone, MSc
When We’re Ready to Stop Huffing and Puffing: The Steps to Coexisting with Wolves
Abstract: Few species evoke stronger emotional response from humans than wolves. Often our perception of wolves is influenced by scary children’s stories, news media sensationalism of wolf attacks on livestock, and even our innate distrust of the unknown or the mysterious. In researching wolves and the best practices to minimize conflicts, these preexisting human reactions to the species tend to present the biggest obstacles to coexistence with this much maligned species. As a result, these biased perceptions become the
underlying drivers in decisions that affect wolves and often exacerbate our conflicts with them. And as conflicts grow, albeit human caused, they reinforce our initial bias of the species. My talk will center on reexamining our perception of wolves, understanding our role in coexisting with the species, and practical methods for minimizing livestock losses in wolf habitat.
Ms. Stone is the Executive Director and Board President of the International Wildlife Coexistence Network and founder of the Wood River Wolf Project. She has been involved in wolf restoration in the western United States since 1988, helping scientists, ranchers, and wildlife managers develop and test nonlethal methods to proactively protect livestock from wolves and other native predators. She is lead author on the first landscape level wolf and sheep nonlethal measures study, "Adaptive use of nonlethal strategies for minimizing wolf-sheep conflict in Idaho," and has worked with the Nez Perce Tribe's Central Idaho interagency wolf recovering steering committee. Her current efforts seek to help protect wolves and other imperiled wildlife with communities around the world, working directly with local and indigenous peoples to improve coexistence. She received her Bachelor's degree from Boise State University and her Master's in Wildlife Conservation and Conflict Management at Prescott College.