VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Air & Space Museum|Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum 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. For information, call Matthew Burchette at 303-360-5360, ext. 103.
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. For information, visit www.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. For information, call 303-697-3466 or visit www.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. For information, call Sue Schafer at 303-468-3245.
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 fblanchard@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. For information, visit www.butterflies.org or call Kris Desmarais, 720-974-1868.
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. For information, visit www.thedas.org, or call 303-871-5172 for reservations.
ONGOING
Science and engineering fair|The Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair will be Feb. 28 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. For information, e-mail james.stevens@uchsc.edu or call 303-724-3003. Teachers interested in staging a science fair at their school can visit the Central Colorado AHEC website at www2.uchsc.edu/ahec/science/.
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. For information, call 303-756-3100.
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 such as molecular and cell biology, anatomy and physiology, immunology, cancer, virology and neurology. Registration is required and is on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, visit www.uchsc.edu/minimed or call 303-315-8911.
Mesa Laboratory| The Mesa Lab, a working research laboratory at the west end of Table Mesa Drive 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. The visitor center has a climate exhibit, an eclipse telescope, working supercomputers, a gravity well, and hands on demonstrations of lightning, tornadoes and fluid dynamics. For information, call 303-497-1174 or visit www.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. The Visitors Center features an interactive exhibit hall and DOE public reading room. For information, visit www.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 www.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 from 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 http://rockymountainarsenal.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. For information, call 800-748-7002 or visit www.rmna.org.
Nature programs|The Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, offers a variety of nature programs. For a list of events, call 303-739-2428 or visit www.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. For more information, call 303-492-5002 or visit www.colorado.edu/fiske/.
MONDAY
Alternative energy talk|”Alternative Energy,” a free talk by Ron Larson, retired principal scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will be at 6 p.m. in room M3130 of the main campus building at Arapahoe Community College, 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive. For information, call 303-797-5851.
WEDNESDAY
Day of the Dead program|”Traditional Mexihka Beliefs: Life, Death and Worship,” a free lunch presentation by David Atekpatzin Young, a tekpahtiani – traditional healer and spiritual leader – with the Iglesia de Aztlan, a Native People’s Community Church and a temachtiani, teacher, with the Kalmeka Aztlan and at Naropa University, will be at noon in the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History’s Changing Gallery on the CU Boulder campus. Lunch will be provided.
THURSDAY
Plasma sciences expo|”Play with Plasma – the Fourth State of Matter,” a free expo with hands-on demonstrations and explorations, sponsored by the American Physical Society-Division of Plasma Physics, will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver. For information, call 609-243-2750 or visit http://fusioned.gat.com/plasma_sciexpo.html.
Cassini Mission talks|”Cassini Mission Update,” a talk about Cassini’s four-year mission to explore Saturn, will be at 7:30 p.m. at Fiske Planetarium on the University of Colorado’s Boulder Campus. The talk will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Cost is $6 adults, $5 students with valid I.D., $3.50 children and seniors. For information, call 303-492-5002 or visit www.colorado.edu/fiske.
FRIDAY
Kids bat event|Roxborough State Park, 4751 N. Roxborough Drive, Littleton, is having an event for kids ages 8 and under, with adult, including stories, facts and myths about bats at 10:30 a.m. To register, call 303-973-3959.
SATURDAY
Winter program|Volunteer Naturalist Ron Claussen will lead a hike and discuss how homesteaders prepared for winter over 100 ago. The program runs continuously through the day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at “The Homestead” on the west side of Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. Wear clothes suitable for hiking through tall grass and plants. A $5 daily state parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. For information, call 303-688-5242.
“Super Science Saturday”|The National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Wild Bear Center for Nature Discovery are hosting a “Super Science Saturday,” with science workshops, live demonstrations and hands-on activity tables from Windows to the Universe, Wild Bear Center for Nature Discovery, University of Colorado Science Discovery and more, will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at NCAR’s Mesa Lab, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder. For information, visit www.ucar.edu/outreach/sss/ or call 303-497-1185.
Outdoor family event|Metro Districts of Highlands Ranch is having a “Fright Night” event for families, with activities including live owls and information about water pollution, coyotes, spiders, bats and more at 6 p.m. at the Redstone Park Pond in Redstone Park, 3280 Redstone Park Circle. Cost is $2 per child ages 2 years and older. To register, call 303-791-2710.
Geology hike|: Naturalist Peter Laux will lead a hike and discuss geology at 2 p.m. in Roxborough State Park, 4751 N. Roxborough Drive, Littleton. A $5 daily state parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. For information, call 303-973-3959.
Oct. 30
Mars program|Amateur astronomer Greg Bell will discuss Mars and, weather permitting, telescopic viewing of Mars will be available from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora. Dress in warm layers. Cost is free for members, $5 nonmembers. For reservations, call 303-693-3621 or e-mail info@plainscenter.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@denverpost.com.
