Wolves are a thread of yarn in ecosystem’s crochet
I am writing in response to the recent gray wolf attacks on livestock in Grand County, and to discuss how wolves are a vital part of Colorado’s ecosystem. Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis’s decision against lethally removing the male wolf in consideration of the possible pups is a big step for the successful reintroduction of these animals. The Camera’s article “Wildlife officials confirm fourth gray wolf livestock attack in Grand County” discusses the possibility of a wolf expecting pups. Pups being born would be a huge success for the Colorado wolf population and it is important that these animals survive for the betterment of the ecosystem.
An article from the University of Colorado, Boulder describes the benefit of wolves in Yellowstone. Since wolves were introduced in 1990, flora, specifically willows and aspens, have flourished in the park due to the decrease in elk and deer populations. This provides habitat for birds and other wildlife. Wolves are a thread of yarn in the ecosystem’s crochet, and if they are absent, other wildlife is both directly and indirectly affected.
Though wolves may pose a threat to cattle, non-lethal preventative measures and compensation outweigh the negatives. WildEarth Guardians mentioned that there are “robust compensation programs” for farmers who have lost their cattle due to wolves. The ecosystem will benefit greatly from the reintroduction of wolves and the return of these animals to their historical habitat is something to be celebrated rather than feared.
Percy Lettvin, Boulder
Finding your calling takes facing your fears
Fritz Pearls said, “Awareness in itself is healing,” and, “Nothing changes until it becomes what it is.”
All I thought about, growing up was that I wanted to be a doctor like my father. As time progressed, everyone in my family expected me to follow in my father’s footsteps. So did I. I was being groomed almost like an apprentice. When I was in high school, I was allowed to experience an appendectomy performed by my father’s best friend while my father gave the anesthesia. I would go on house calls with my dad whenever I could. He allowed me to assist him in his office, and I was trained to sterilize his instruments. I was in awe. One time when my dad and I were on a fishing trip in northern Ontario, I had to assist him in removing a treble hook from a man’s upper lip holding a flashlight in a remote cabin with no electricity. I was enthralled by it all. I could not imagine any other career path to take.
The first crack in everyone’s armor came in my senior year of high school when my father and my Uncle Frank told me that medicine was going to change in the future and that I was going to have to specialize just like my twin cousins who were ten years older than me. They were my heroes. I argued with my father and uncle but to no avail.
Of course, when I entered college in 1954, I was listed as pre-med. I hated it. When I went home, the very first question my father asked was, “How is school going?” I would answer that everything was fine. I was afraid to tell him the truth for fear that he would be disappointed in me. This situation continued until my senior year when I came home for Thanksgiving to find that my father was in the hospital with a heart attack. I rushed to see him and there he was under an oxygen tent. That’s all they knew what to do in 1957. The very first thing he asked me was, “How is school going?” I had an epiphany and knew I had to be honest with my Dad for the first time. Don’t ask me how I knew. It was immediate and from the heart. I told him that I was afraid to say anything for fear of disappointing him and everyone in my family. When he asked me what I wanted to do, I told him that I wanted to work with children and their families. He said, “Do it.” His blessing meant everything to me. It was like a giant rock was rolled off my neck. It was a powerful moment in my life, for two weeks later he died.
Judy Blume has written, “Each of us must confront our own fears, come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives, to experience adventure or be limited by the fear of it.”
Joseph La Camera, Boulder
