At Front Range Community College, learning often happens far beyond the classroom. We like to say we “learn without limits.”
Students in the college’s forestry, wildlife & natural resources program tackle real-life projects that produce lasting benefits for Colorado communities. They do this while working directly alongside landowners and conservation professionals.
They restore habitat, study wildlife and monitor ecosystems along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. This hands-on experience solves real-world challenges—from improving wildlife migration corridors to reducing dangerous wildlife-vehicle collisions on northern Colorado roadways.
And graduates of the program get the experience employers are looking to hire.
“Highway of Death”
One recent project drew interest from state transportation and wildlife officials who were looking for ways to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions along US Highway 287 north of Fort Collins. This stretch is often called the “highway of death,” due in part to wildlife traffic on the road.
The students’ work focused on helping wildlife cross safely beneath the highway using existing underpass structures. According to Heather Dannahower, lead faculty member of FRCC’s wildlife technology program, the crossing was the first of four wildlife passage improvements that students helped develop along this stretch of 287 in Northern Colorado.
Projects That Help Save Lives
The need for safer crossings is significant. Over the past 11 years, 15 people have died in crashes along this 30-mile stretch of highway heading north of Fort Collins to the Wyoming border. A Colorado Department of Transportation safety assessment found that wildlife was involved in 103 of the 309 crashes recorded between 2017 and 2021.
To determine where improvements would have the greatest impact, students analyzed crash data, evaluated existing crossing structures and conducted field assessments at potential project sites. They searched for signs of wildlife activity—including tracks, scat and other evidence—to better understand how animals were moving through the landscape and where they were most likely to cross the highway.
Preventing Human-Wildlife Conflicts
FRCC students have been involved in wildlife connectivity work in the area since 2020. The effort focuses on helping animals safely navigate a landscape increasingly fragmented by roads and development.
“That’s a huge thing right now, with our increasing human density,” Heather says. “We have more cars and more people moving on those roads, but these animals have been using these corridors for centuries.”
Keeping Drivers and Animals Safe
The students removed traditional fencing under US 287 in known wildlife corridors, replacing it with structures that allow wild animals to pass through. They installed vertical wooden posts, with no wire connecting them, approximately 15 inches apart. The gaps between the posts allow deer, elk and pronghorn to pass to the other side, but are too small for cattle to wind through, which keeps them on their home ranchland.
The work is designed to improve safety for both wildlife and motorists. Wildlife-vehicle collisions can cause serious injuries, damage vehicles and disrupt important migration routes.
Working in the Field
“Our natural resources program includes a two-year degree in forestry, a two-year degree in wildlife and a two-year degree in natural resource management,” says Heather. “And what really sets us apart is our applied focus.”
Students don’t simply learn in a classroom. They apply those concepts in the field through projects that directly benefit the communities and landscapes around them.
A “Magical” Experience
For many students, the program offers a pathway to meaningful careers while providing opportunities to make a tangible difference in their communities.
Jill Twehous, who graduated in May 2026 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Wildlife and multiple natural resources certificates, says the hands-on nature of the program sets it apart.
“This experience is so magical,” she says. “It’s incredible and so well-rounded, because you’re touching everything you’re doing.”
A Deeper Understanding of Outcomes
The opportunity to see the results of their work has been especially meaningful.
“You actually get to experience not only how the theory works, but you get to come back, and see what resulted from your work,” Jill says. “It gives you that really beautiful gratification, and you get to leave a piece of yourself behind.”
Getting Their Hands Dirty
“Students come here, and they don’t just hear lecturers about how to manage a forest correctly or principles of wildlife management,” Heather says. “They actually get into the field; they get their hands dirty.”
“They practice the techniques used by employers and technicians and they get that real-world experience combined with the theoretical and classroom-based knowledge.”
Students involved in these projects help create conditions that encourage animals to use designated crossing structures. The results have been impressive.
Tangible Impacts
According to monitoring data collected at the wildlife crossings since 2024, a wide variety of species have successfully used the underpasses, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, pronghorn, black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, skunks, foxes and coyotes.
For students, seeing wildlife use the structures after their work is completed brings classroom lessons to life.
“It’s very rewarding,” says Lauren Blankenship, a former student who is now FRCC’s natural resources lab coordinator. “We can come back and see the difference where we did wildlife crossing down the road through camera footage of the animals crossing safely.”
“That’s been fascinating and exciting to know, ‘Hey, we did that work and now it’s making an impact.’”
Guidance to Find Your Path
Lauren’s own journey reflects the opportunities the program creates. After moving to Colorado to enroll as a student, she eventually joined FRCC as an employee.
“The wonderful part about our program is we have such passionate instructors who are willing to talk with you to figure out what you want,” she says.
Making Migration Easier
In April 2025, students tackled another challenge facing wildlife in the Livermore area: outdated fencing that restricts animal movement.
Historically, many ranches in the region used woven-wire fencing for sheep grazing. While effective at containing livestock, the fencing can become a significant obstacle for wildlife.
Working on Carpenter Ranch, students in a wildlife management class replaced aging woven-wire fencing with wildlife-friendly alternatives designed to accommodate both livestock operations and migrating wildlife.
Down to a Science
The updated fence design takes into account the movement patterns of different species. Smooth wire on the top allows animals such as deer and elk to jump over fences more safely, while raising the smooth wire on the bottom provides more clearance for pronghorn to crawl underneath.
“In this area, we get a lot of mule deer, pronghorn and elk moving from the foothills out onto the plains,” Heather says. “When they come to an area like this, they really have a hard time navigating it.”
This project replaced approximately one-quarter mile of fencing. Combined with a previous nearby project, FRCC students have helped convert roughly one mile of fencing to wildlife-friendly standards in the area over the past two years.
Protecting Open Lands
This work contributes to a broader effort to maintain wildlife corridors throughout one of the Front Range’s most important remaining open landscapes.
“We need people who are willing to conserve these landscapes,” Heather says. “Oftentimes they’re conserved because of cattle ranching, and the more we can keep these ranchers on the landscape, the more we can keep these areas open for wildlife.”
“This is a pretty special area, because a lot of this land has been conserved,” she says of the fencing project site.
Research That Benefits Ecosystems
Students also participate in research projects that address environmental challenges facing Colorado ecosystems.
One current project monitors the effectiveness of chemical treatments that target cheatgrass, an invasive species that has spread across much of the western United States.
Using trail cameras and artificial intelligence-assisted wildlife monitoring software, students are studying how wildlife responds to areas treated with Rejuvra, an herbicide that controls cheatgrass.
The study compares wildlife activity in treated and untreated areas to better understand how habitat conditions influence the ways animals use the land.
Going Native to Prevent Wildfire Risk
Cheatgrass presents significant ecological challenges because it spreads aggressively, outcompetes native vegetation and increases wildfire risk.
“It creates fire hazards, which we do not need with our current climate issues, and it just chokes out everything to the point that the wildlife species are not able to get a good high-quality grass to eat,” says Lacy Michall, a student in the wildlife program.
By participating in projects like these, students gain experience with modern wildlife research tools while contributing to ongoing conservation efforts.
You Belong Here
Lacy says the combination of hands-on learning and supportive faculty confirmed she had found the right place.
“Front Range offered one of the best programs for natural resources, and as soon as I took my first class, I knew that this was the perfect fit for me,” Lacy says. “Not only are the classes amazing, but they just provide such a great hands-on experience, which a lot of other schools don’t provide.”
Filling a Need
As Colorado continues to grow, the need for professionals who can balance conservation, land management and community needs will only increase.
Through projects that improve wildlife habitat, support migration corridors, reduce roadway hazards and strengthen ecosystems, FRCC students are already helping meet that challenge.
“This is one of those things that if you do it, there is no way that you will ever regret doing it,” wildlife program alumna Jill says. “It is so amazing and important.”
