Wild Aware

Wild Aware, founded in 2019, aims to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on Highway 74 and Highway 73 in Evergreen, CO. Working with CDOT and CPW, permanent variable message signs were installed in 2024 along Highway 74 in the two areas with the highest wildlife-vehicle collisions.  

Protect Colorado Wildlife — A Major Opportunity for Impact

Summer in Colorado means new life — and new danger. Tourist traffic spikes during wildlife baby season, leading to thousands of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) each year, threatening animals, drivers, and communities.Elk cow and calf crossing road - June 2025, Evergreen Lake.

The Urgency

• 3,300+ WVCs annually in Colorado.
• Jefferson County: 2,700 crashes in 2023 — one fatality, 306 injuries.
• Average property damage: $3,103 — yet the value of a human or wildlife saved is immeasurable.

Life-Saving Initiatives

Give Me a Brake Campaign

• Partnership with Colorado State Patrol targeting high-risk roads like Highway 74.
• Troopers conduct speed checks and distribute safety cards linking to Wild Eyes, Wild Aware’s new driver video program.
• Promotes vigilance and safe driving habits, preventing collisions before they happen.Spot the Deer - Wild Eyes video 

Wild Eyes – Educating New Drivers

• Video-based program with real stories and expert guidance.
• Reaches teens and new drivers to prevent wildlife collisions.
• Free and accessible thanks to donor support.

Barbed Wire Removal Program

• Our Barbed Wire Warriors remove miles of legacy, disused fencing, reopening critical wildlife corridors.
• Countless injuries and deaths are caused as animals struggle against fences while trying to follow centuries-old migration routes.
• Today, thousands of miles of “ghost” fencing remain scattered across Colorado, serving no purpose but continuing to endanger wildlife, wildland firefighters, hikers, and pets. 
• Donor funding provides tools, safety gear, and disposal — turning contributions into tangible conservation impact.Barbed Wire Warriors May 2025  

Why You Should Invest

• Every gift delivers measurable impact:
  • $50:  “Give Me a Brake” yard signs, promotional/educational materials, safe driving postcards for CSP.
  • $100: Wild Eyes education in local schools.
  • $250: Tools and disposal for one barbed wire project.Good Samaritan untangling deer caught in barbed wire fencing
    
    

Your support directly saves lives which restores habitat, and builds a safer Colorado.

Partner with Wild Aware. Invest in solutions that work. Visit wildaware.org.