Due to large elk populations, Estes Park faces coexistence-related issues, including unsafe tourist-elk interactions and a need for more inexpensive housing. We collaborated with the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition to examine human-elk conflict to support Estes Park’s futures planning. We achieved this by understanding pressure points for elk and humans and rethinking strategies for coexistence. We designed educational materials, made suggestions on wildlife-friendly policies, and recommended futures planning workshops to envision a more equitable relationship between wildlife and humans.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Peters, Benjamin
• Ufuah, Luese
• Reynolds, Catherine
• Aoua, Yasmine
• Iyengar, Maanav

Subject

• Sustainability
• Learning
• Environment
• Community
• Innovation
• Infrastructure

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 67616
• E-project-050322-120206

Keyword

• Estes Park
• Ecotourism
• Coexistence
• Housing shortage
• Elk
• Human-wildlife conflict

Advisor

• Shockey, Ingrid K.
• Dodson, Leslie Lynn

Year

• 2022

Center

• Mandi, India Project Center - IQP

Sponsor

• Estes Valley Watershed Coalition

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 15 - Life On Land

Date created

• 2022-05-03

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright