“Boots on the Ground: Conservation and Management in Practice”
“Boots on the Ground: Conservation and Management in Practice”
2026 Annual Meeting-Grand Junction Feb 17th-Feb 19th 2026
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Thank you to this year's conference sponsors!!
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REGISTRATION
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Registration will close February 2nd at 5 PM​
Day-of registration will be available for an increased fee.
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CO-TWS Members
Professionals: $250 early bird —-$300 late
Student Member: $100 early bird—- $150 late
Professional Non-member*: $265 early bird—-$315 late
Student Non-member*: $115 early bird—- $165 late
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*Non Members – This price comes with an annual membership, so if you need to renew you can do that by buying a non-member registration
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Hotel Room Block
Our block is split between three hotels in Grand Junction, the Hampton Inn, Tru by Hilton, and Fairfield Inn and Suites. Please use the following links to book hotels by January 31st at the discounted rate.
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SCHEDULE
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(see below for workshop and field trip descriptions)
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ABSTRACTS
Abstract submission closed December 23rd. Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract. CCTWS will be emailing presenters regarding acceptance and talk times in late January 2026.
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Please see submission guidelines here
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Code of Conduct– Attendance at this meeting is at the discretion of the Colorado Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Anyone violating this code of conduct will be asked to refrain from attending the meeting or to leave.
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Plenary Speaker Bios
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Workshop Descriptions
Held Tuesday February 17th (Note many of these overlap in time-Please do not sign up for 2 overlapping workshops or field trips)
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Title: Facilitating Depolarization: Tools for Reducing Conflict and Depolarizing Conservation Issues
Organizer/Contact: Mireille Gonzalez (CSU)
Workshop Description (40 people max):
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9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (with breaks and lunch)
In an increasingly polarized world, our ability to communicate across divisions is essential to building stronger, more resilient communities. Polarization has become one of the biggest barriers to natural resource management today- whether it’s wolves, and use, or climate policy, polarized debates stall decision-making and erode trust. Many engagement processes aren’t designed to reduce conflict; too often, they entrench it by overlooking the people, histories, and values shaping conservation debates. This interactive workshop provides practical facilitation techniques to reduce polarization and support constructive dialogue in contentious contexts. Drawing from real-world examples in human-wildlife conflict, participants will explore strategies to engage diverse values, manage difficult emotions, and design processes that move groups from entrenched positions toward shared goals. The session begins with a broader look at how to design effective stakeholder engagement processes aimed at achieving outcomes such as depolarization and conflict resolution. It also introduces research-based frameworks from deliberative democracy and conflict resolution, showing how research can inform practice in accessible ways. Tailored for Colorado TWS members, many of whom are biologists and managers, the workshop highlights how these skills can strengthen collaboration across disciplines and with communities, helping practitioners apply technical expertise more effectively in socially complex situations. Through interactive activities, participants will practice navigating conflict, fostering empathy and perspective-taking, and reframing wildlife issues to open space for more constructive dialogue.
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Title: Fundamentals of Plant Identification
Organizer/Contact: Becky Ruzicka (CSU)
Tuesday Feb 17th half-day 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 25 people max
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Workshop Description:
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This workshop will introduce participants to fundamentals of plant identification, with a focus on why it is an essential skill for wildlife managers. We’ll cover basic plant morphology, learn to recognize the most common plant families in Colorado, and highlight key species that are important ecologically or frequently encountered in the region. Weather permitting, we’ll head into the field to practice identification skills in real-world settings. Participants will gain familiarity and confidence in identifying common plants.
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Title: Logistics of habitat restoration and incorporation of native plants into wildlife projects
(FULL - NO MORE TICKETS AVAILABLE)
Organizer/Contact: CPW Habitat Unit, Wildlife Habitat Research, and Land Use staff
Tuesday Feb 17th half-day 1:00 - 5:00 PM, 25 people max
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Workshop Description:
​Colorado Parks and Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Wildlife Habitat Research staff will cover the how and why of "habitat" seeding projects implemented in western Colorado. This workshop will focus on big game species, greater sage grouse, and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse; however, the framework for project planning can be applied to other species. We will begin with the functional needs of the focal wildlife species including seasonal plant utilization (forage, cover), followed by site potential with considerations for soils and ecological site descriptions. The workshop will showcase large scale seeding projects conducted in salt desert, sagebrush, pinon-juniper and mixed mountain shrub communities, incorporating both intact native and previously altered environmental settings. For each habitat type, we will provide seeding methods and outcomes over time. Additionally, methods for analyzing forage quality and quantity will be discussed as a metric to evaluate success of seeding projects. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the complexities of implementing wildlife seeding projects in western Colorado.
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Title: Field Dressing and "Can I eat this?"
Organizer/Contact: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Workshop Description: 1/2 day (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM) workshop, 20 people max
Held at the CPW Grand Junction Office - 711 Independent Ave Grand Junction, Colorado
This workshop will introduce participants to the art of field dressing big game. A CPW Wildlife Pathologist will also address scenarios of "Can I eat this?
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Field Trips
Title: Palisade Insectary
Description: see https://ag.colorado.gov/conservation/palisade-insectary
Biological control is a method of pest management that uses the natural enemies of weeds or pests. The Palisade Insectary imports, raises, researches, and distributes biological controls for the state of Colorado.
Successful biological pest control does three things:
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reduces costs
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cuts down on the amount of chemicals entering the environment
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establishes helpful insects for a natural, permanent pest control choice.
More than 90 insects and fungi have been studied and released for use since the Insectary was started in 1945.
When: Tuesday 10 AM (limit 20 people) and Friday 10 AM (limit 20 people). Note: leave 30 minutes minimum to drive from the Convention Center to the Insectary. Tour is approximately 1.5 hours, excluding drive time.
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Title: Cross Country Skiing on the Grand Mesa (Weather Dependent)
Description: Carpool to the Grand Mesa for a day of cross country skiing (carpool will also pass by Powderhorn ski area for downhill skiiers). Note there is a suggested $20 per person donation.
There are several rental places in Grand Junction (Board and Buckle is one - https://www.boardandbuckle.com/rentals/)
When: Tuesday meet at Convention Center and leave at 8:30 AM (it takes about an hour to get to the ski area). ​
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Title: Society of American Foresters Field Trip (Weather Dependent)
Organizer: Ian Reilling (SAF)
Description: Carpool to some local sites to see how we transition from alpine to desert systems in ~10 air miles. SAF leaders will be discussing topics relevant to local natural resource management and showing examples of different forest types throughout the afternoon. Specific sites are TBD.
When: Tuesday meet at Convention Center and leave at noon.
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Title: Out in the Field (OiTF) Evening Social
Description: Join fellow LGBTQIA+ CCTWS members and allies for an evening social on Wednesday Feb 18th. Details on location and time will be forthcoming, but it will be offsite within walking distance of the Convention Center. There is no registration fee for this event, but please indicate whether you plan to attend on the registration form. All are welcome.
