North American Summit on Collaborating With Wildlife in Park Gateways
Drawing large, multi-sector participation from across the continent, the CW Summit aims explore, establish, and resource Models & Methodologies for Collaborating with Wildlife (CW) impacting the way North American societies understand and act toward native species. It acts on the basis that wildlife and humans are not separate but together part of a single, interconnected system—while acknowledging that wildlife are losing the competition for resources and habitat occupation. CW evolves concepts of wildlife as merely subordinate, consumptive resources, or threats to human health and safety. Instead, CW acts on a concept of wildlife as intrinsically and functionally collaborative toward sustaining nature.
Why Park Gateways?
In the CW Summit context, the term “park” generically describes protected natural areas maintained for wildlife. Accessible parks draw increasing tourism and recreation and attracting new residents bringing development to park outskirts. Being lost at a rapid clip are the family farms, ranches and other areas which often serve as extended open space for park wildlife. Land and ocean habitats alike are increasingly traversed by traffic and changed by infrastructure. Displacement, intolerance, and habitat loss are common challenges for wildlife venturing outside today’s parks.
Tuesday, May 18, 2026
7:45a Doors open
8:00a Morning Coffee & Tea
8:30a Welcome & Introductions
9:00a Summit Keynote
9:30a Prologue: 1800s Destruction of Wildlife Across the Continent
10:00a What is Collaborating with Wildlife?
10:30a Break
10:50a Why Park Gateways?
11:20a Investing in North America’s Wildlife
11:50a Summit Program Overview & Workgroups Process
Noon Lunch Break
1:30p Workgroup Set 1
3:00p Break
3:30p Workgroup Set 2
5:00p-7:00p Welcome Reception
Wednesday, May 19, 2026
7:45a Doors open
8:00a Morning Coffee & Tea
8:30a Workgroup Set 3
10:00a Break
10:30a Workgroup Set 4
12:00p Lunch Break
1:30p Panel Dialogues on Workgroups 1-4
3:00p Break
3:30p Workgroup Set 5
5:00p-7:00p Reception: Visions & Cultural Expressions of North America’s Wildlife Return
Thursday, May 20, 2026
7:45a Doors open
8:00a Morning Coffee & Tea
8:30a Workgroup Set 6
10:00a Break
10:30a Workgroup Set 7
12:00p Lunch Break
1:30p Workgroup Set 8
3:00p Break
3:30p Panel Dialogues on Workgroups 5-8
5:00p-6:00p Closing & Tribal & First Nations Ceremony
Friday, May 21, 2026
8:30a-Noon Port of Corpus Christi Wildlife Rescue Operations Center & Texas State Aquarium Tour: Field Trip for Participants (Additional Registration Required)
(Preliminary Draft – Subject to Change)