VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Air & Space Museum|Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., needs volunteers to help at the admissions desk, museum store, and in the museum’s collection of artifacts. The museum’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 on Sundays. Call Matthew Burchette at 303-360-5360, ext. 103.
Nature center|Lookout Mountain Nature Center needs volunteer naturalists to greet visitors, lead programs for school and scout groups and develop programs for the public. For information and an application, call 303-526-0212. Application deadline is Oct. 16.
Xeriscape garden|Volunteers are needed to work in the Aurora Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway. For information, call Abby Schreiber at 303-739-7356 or e-mail aschreib@auroragov.org.
Zoo| The Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., needs volunteers to assist with special events, to assist zookeepers and to work in the zoo’s membership, education and administration departments. Visit denverzoo.org or call 303-376-4894.
Dinosaur Ridge|Volunteer tour guides are needed to teach people about the paleontological, geological, natural resources and history of Dinosaur Ridge. Applicants must be at least 18 and must complete required training. Call 303-697-3466 or visit dinoridge.org.
Science Museum|The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., needs volunteers to work with visitors in the museum’s diorama halls, galleries and activity areas. Also needed are volunteers to be guides, interpreters, collections assistants and classroom prep assistants. Call the Volunteer Services office for information, 303-370-6419.
Nature Center|Bluff Lake Nature Center, East 30th Avenue and Moline Street, needs volunteer naturalists to work with kids, using games, science experiments and hands-on activities to teach them about nature. No experience is required. Call Sue Schafer at 303-468-3245.
Trail building|Volunteers are needed to do trail building work on Oct. 1 and 2 on the Blue Sky Trail, west of Fort Collins and Loveland, from Devil’s Backbone Open Space north to Horsetooth Reservoir. To register, visit voc.org. Call 970-679-4553.
Rocky Mountain Field Institute|Volunteers are needed for service programs in September, October and November at Table Mountain, Shelf Road and Garden of the Gods. Register at least two weeks ahead by calling 719-471-7736 or e-mail rmfibox@qwest.net.
Conservation Center|The Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora, needs volunteer “citizen scientists” to work with PCC naturalists gathering, compiling and mapping information about prairie residents. Survey work will take place on the first Saturday of each month. Training is provided. To register, e-mail Fran Blanchard at fblan chard@plainscenter.org or call 303-693-3621.
Butterfly Pavilion|The Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster, needs volunteers to work with visitors and to help in its tropical butterfly conservatory, tide pool, touch cart, and garden areas. Visit butter flies.org or call Kris Desmarais, 720-974-1868.
Urban Wildlife Partners|The Urban Wildlife Partners needs 20 volunteers for the second annual “Bioblitz,” from noon Sept. 30 to noon Oct. 1. Volunteer opportunities include helping with family activities, greeting visitors, data entry and counting animals. Three locations north, east and south of Denver need volunteers. For information, call Kris Desmarais at 720-974-1868 or e-mail volunteer ing@butterflies.org. Visit allspeciescount.org.
TWICE WEEKLY
Telescope viewing|Chamberlin Observatory, 2930 E. Warren Ave., on the University of Denver campus, has astronomy presentations and allows use of the 20-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope beginning at 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visit thedas.org, or call 303-871-5172 for reservations.
ONGOING
Map and compass class|The U.S. Geological Survey hosts a free map, compass and orienteering class at 1 p.m. Fridays in the map department at the Denver Flagship REI, 1416 Platte St. Call 303-756-3100.
Bird banding station|Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory’s Education and Bird Banding Station at Barr Lake State Park, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton, will be active now through Oct. 21. RMBO biologists assess the present condition of songbirds, and gather scientific data by measuring, weighing, identifying, aging and banding the specimens. For directions and hours, call 303-637-9220.
Mini Med School|The University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center is having a free Mini Med School at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Nov. 9 in the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Phipps IMAX Theater, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Nine lectures given by CU School of Medicine professors will cover topics like molecular and cell biology, anatomy and physiology, immunology, cancer, virology, and neurology. Registration is required and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit uchsc.edu/min imed or call 303-315-8911.
Mesa Laboratory|The Mesa Lab in Boulder has a free visitor center that is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. Free, guided noon-time tours are offered daily throughout the summer. The visitor center has a climate exhibit, an eclipse telescope, working supercomputers, a gravity well, and hands on demonstrations of lightning, tornados and fluid dynamics. Call 303-497-1174 or visit ucar.edu.
Renewable energy|The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitors Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit nrel.gov/visitors_center/ or call 303-384-6565.
Children’s workshops|The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., has many children’s workshops and events for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. For a list, call the Children’s Workshop coordinators at 303-370-8225 or 303-370-8347.
Nature activities|South Suburban Parks and Recreation naturalists lead many outdoor, nature and environmentally related activities and events at Carson Nature Center, 3000 W. Carson Drive, Littleton. For a list of events, visit sspr.org or call 303-730-1022.
Wildlife refuge programs|The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, East 56th Avenue at Havana Street, is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. There are various exhibits at the Visitor Center, and free nature programs and refuge tours. Call 303-289-0930 for times and reservations, or visit rock ymountainarsenal.fws.gov.
Natural history seminars|The Rocky Mountain Nature Association offers a series of outdoor seminars on natural history topics in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado State Parks and other locations. Call 800-748-7002 or visit rmna.org.
Kids Nature programs|The Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, offers a variety of nature programs for kids. For a list of events, call 303-739-2428 or visit auroragov.org.
Astronomy events|Fiske Planetarium, on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, has a variety of astronomy shows, talks, and family matinees. The evening talks and shows are $6 adults, $5 students with valid I.D., and $3.50 for children and seniors. Saturday family shows are $5 adults, $3.50 children and seniors. Laser shows are $5. Call 303-492-5002 or visit colorado.edu/fiske/.
TODAY
Museum free day|Admission to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., will be free from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Colorado residents with proof of residency. Separate admission fees to Phipps IMAX Theater and Gates Planetarium remain in effect. A scavenger hunt begins on the bridge on Level 2 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Call 303-322-7009 or 800-925-2250 or visit dmns.org.
Solar week|The Center for ReSource Conservation is having workshops and a self-guided tour of Boulder County homes that include a range of green building techniques and solar technologies Sept. 24 through Oct. 2. Call 303-441-3278 or visit conservationcenter.org.
MONDAY
Hurricane Katrina recovery talk|Robert Collins, chair of the urban studies and public policy department at Dillard University in New Orleans, will give a free talk, “Lessons From the Drowning Pool: Analyzing the Past and Future of Disaster Mitigation Planning Following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans,” at 4 p.m. in the auditorium inside Old Main on the University of Colorado Boulder campus.
TUESDAY
Water talk|Mayor John Hickenlooper and Denver Museum of Nature & Science president George Sparks will host a roundtable discussion, the final presentation in the “Wringing Water from the Rocks” lecture series, at 7 p.m. at DMNS, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Cost is $12 members, $15 nonmembers. Call 303-322-7009, TTY 303-370-8257, or 800-925-2250.
Colorado Café Scientifique|”Yeast and Humans in Civilization: The Science Behind a Long-Standing Fermented Relationship,” a free discussion led by Robert A. Sclafani of the department of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the University of Colorado Medical School, will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Mercantile Room at the Wynkoop Brewery, 1638 18th St. Visit CafeSciColorado.org.
Renewable energy programs|The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitors Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, is having a program, “At Home with Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency,” at 11 a.m. “Opportunities for the Developing Energy Enterprise,” another presentation, will be at noon. Take a lunch if desired. To register, call 303-384-6565. For information, visit nrel.gov/visitors_center/.
Pottery talk|”Ancient Mimbres Pottery: Art, Patrimony or Data,” a free lecture by Steve Lekson, curator of anthropology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, will be at noon in Dinosaur Hall in the CU Museum on the CU Boulder campus. Lunch will be provided. Call 303-492-6892 or visit cumuseum.colorado.edu/.
WEDNESDAY
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument talk|Monument Manager Dave Hunsaker will give a free talk about the first nine years of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah at 7 p.m. at the University of Colorado, Boulder, in Room 1B50 of the Eaton Humanities Buildingcq, followed by a conversation with CU Boulder history and environmental studies Professor Patricia Limerick and Distinguished Professor Charles Wilkinson of the law school. Call 303-492-4879 or visit centerwest.org.
THURSDAY
Fall color tree walk|Alan Nelson, grounds manager at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will give a free presentation and lead a walk at 5 p.m. Meet at the south entrance of the CU Museum of Natural History on the CU Boulder campus. Call 303-492-6892 or visit cumuseum.colorado.edu/.
FRIDAY
BioBlitz|Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, is having a free all-day “BioBlitz” event to inventory the species within the ranch. To register, call 303-739-2428 or visit auroragov.org.
SATURDAY
“Jr. Naturalist” event|”Jr. Naturalists – Wildfires,” an event for children 7-12, will be led by volunteer naturalist Sharon Logan and a Colorado State Forest Service firefighter. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Visitor Center in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Colorado 83, Franktown. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. For reservations, call 303-688-5242.
Birding basics class|”Birding 101,” a program led by Naturalist Alice Kruse, will be at 7:30 a.m. at Crown Hill Park. To register and for directions, call the Lookout Mountain Nature Center, 303-526-0594.
Homestead event|The Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E Hampden Ave., Aurora, is having a “Harvest at the Homestead” event, which includes wildlife watching, demonstrations and displays, activities and crafts, and live bird demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 303-693-6921 or visit plainscenter.org.
Animal poop event|”Poop-n-Pellets,” a program for kids 6 to 10 (with an adult), will be at 4 p.m. at Redstone Park Pond, 3280 Redstone Park Circle, Highlands Ranch. Cost is $5 resident, $6 nonresident. Visit highlandsranch.org or call 303-791-2710.
Archaeology tour|A video presentation and site tour of the Lamb Spring archaeological site will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Roxborough State Park, 4751 N. Roxborough Drive, Littleton. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. To register, call 303-973-3959.
Dinosaur discovery day|West Alameda Parkway will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for Dinosaur Discovery Day. Volunteer tour guides will be available to give demonstrations and explanations for the various stops along Dinosaur Ridge, which is on West Alameda Parkway at Rooney Road. Visit dinoridge.org or call 303-697-3466.
Denver Zoo free day|Admission to the Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., will be free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Colorado residents with proof of residency. Visit denverzoo.org or call 303-376-4800.
Owl event|”Owl Treasure Hunt,” a program on owls and their physique, including a dissection of an owl pellet to reconstruct its prey, will be at 1 p.m. at the Barr Lake Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road. Call 303-659-6005.
Career day|The Denver chapter of the Association for Women Geoscientists is having a career day from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Dinosaur Ridge, 16831 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. Association members will give demonstrations, and answer questions about geological sciences. Call 303-697-3466.
Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science community day|SACNAS is hosting a free community day event from 9 a.m. to noon in Exhibit Hall D of the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver. The bilingual event offers hands on science activities and is sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. For information, call 877-SACNAS-1 or visit sacnas.org.
Birding event|”Birds of Roxborough,” a program led by volunteer naturalist Doris Cruze, will be at 2 p.m. at Roxborough State Park, 4751 N. Roxborough Drive, Littleton. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. Call 303-973-3959.
Oct. 2
Night hike|The Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, is offering a free night hike for kids 10 and up and adults at 6:30 p.m. To register, call 303-739-2428 or visit auroragov.org.
To publicize upcoming events geared toward and open to the public, please mail complete details at least two weeks in advance to Scientifically Speaking, The Denver Post, City Desk, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202, or e-mail to Scispeak@denver post.com.
