VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
BODY WORLDS 2 at Science Museum|The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., needs 300 volunteers to work day and evening shifts greeting visitors, assisting with directions, distributing audio guides, taking tickets, facilitating exhibition touch carts and more for the BODY WORLDS 2 exhibit. Four free information sessions are scheduled between Jan. 5 and 14. To register, call 303-322-7009 or visit www.dmns.org/volunteering.
Science and engineering fair|The Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Volunteers are needed to judge the fair. For information, visit www2uchsc.edu/ahec/science/judges or call Sandra Van Kaenel, 303-315-9005.
Air and 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 p.m. on Sundays. For information, call Matthew Burchette at 303-360-5360, ext. 103.
Zoo|he 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.
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 7 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 from 1 to 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. For information, call 303-724-3003. Teachers interested in staging a science fair at their school can visit the Central Colorado AHEC website at http://www2.uchsc.edu/sciencefair/judges/.
Earth Corps program|The Rocky Mountain Field Institute is offering 30-day fellowships programs between July 17 and August 15 to undergraduate students. Participants will live in remote wilderness settings and complete long hours of demanding physical labor. Students will receive $1000 and 4 hours of credit in geography from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Application cost is $25. To apply, call RMFI, 719-471-7736 or e-mail rmfibox@qwest.net. Applications deadline is April 7, however, outstanding applicants will be awarded fellowships in advance of the deadline. Decisions will be announced by April 14.
Map and compass class|The US 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.
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, tornados and fluid dynamics. For information, call 303-497-1174 or visit www.ucar.edu.
Renewable energy|The US 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
MLK Holiday camp|South Suburban Parks and Recreation District is having a “Winter Wonders” program for youth ages 6-12 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Carson Nature Center, 7301 S. Platte River Parkway. Hands-on activities and crafts will educate children about animal survival in winter months. Cost is $32 ($26 District rate). To register, call 303-730-1022.
Denver Botanic Gardens free day|The Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York St., is offering free admission to Colorado residents from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, call 720-865-3500 or visit www.botanicgardens.org.
Trees and shrubs program|Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown, is offering a program on identifying trees and shrubs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Meet at the Visitor Center. To register, call 303-688-5242. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park.
TUESDAY
Colorado Café Scientifique|”Risk Analysis and Public Health: How to Get from Good Intentions to Good Results,” a free talk by Tony Cox, CEO of Cox Associates, will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Mercantile Room at the Wynkoop Brewery, 1638 18th St. For information, visit http://cafescicolorado.org.
WEDNESDAY
Colorado Renewable Energy Society meeting|”Addressing the Challenges Ahead: The Sustainable Hydrogen Economy,” a talk by John Turner, principal scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will be at 5:30 p.m. at NREL’s Visitor Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden. Cost is free for CREW members, $5 nonmembers. For information, call 303-806-5317 or visit http://cres-energy.org.
THURSDAY
Astronomy program|Park Naturalist Paul Frank will lead a stargazing excursion with discussions of star characteristics and mythology at 5 p.m. at Barr Lark Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton. Dress warmly. For information, call 303-659-6005.
Colorado skies talk|”Colorado Skies: Stardust Mission,” a program featuring information on NASA’s Stardust Mission, will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Fiske Planetarium on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Cost is $6 adult, $5 student with valid ID, $3.50 child/senior. For information, call 303-492-5001 or visit http://fiske.colorado.edu.
SATURDAY
Sustainability program|Professor Emeritus Albert Bartlett of the University of Colorado, Boulder, is giving a free talk, “Arithmetic, Population and Energy: Sustainability 101,” at 2 p.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30 on the CU Boulder campus. For information, call 303-492-4318.
Naturalist-led hike|Volunteer Naturalist Ron Claussen will lead a hike and discuss changes in the park as spring approaches. Meet at 1 p.m. at the Castlewood Canyon State Park Visitor Center, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. To register, call 303-688-5242.
New volunteer open house|Barr Lake Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton, is having a new volunteer open house at 11:30 a.m. Park staff and volunteers will share information and answer questions. For information, call 303-659-6005.
Bald eagle program|Park Naturalist Kathy Dremann will lead a program, “Bald Eagle Basics,” at 10 a.m. at Barr Lake Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton. For information, call 303-659-6005.
Jan. 22
Farm and ranch energy workshop|The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is offering free consumer workshops on solar, wind and biomass energy for farms and ranches at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Beef Palace Auction Arena, in the basement of the Hall of Education at the National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St. The workshops feature hand-on displays of clean, renewable energy systems, which can provide power for irrigation, stock watering, electric fences and other practical uses. For information, call 303-275-3023.
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.
