VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
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. Volunteers are needed to judge the fair. For information, visit www2.uchsc.edu/sciencefair/judges/ or call Sandra Van Kaenel at 303-315-9005.
Denver parks|Denver Parks and Recreation needs volunteers for a new park evaluation program, “Parks and People Partnership,” (PPP). Three trainings sessions will be in February and March. PPP volunteers help alert Parks and Recreation to immediate problems; and collect data the improves maintenance standards across the city. To register, visit www.denvergov.org/parks or call 720-913-0668.
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|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. Also, volunteers are needed to help with the BODY WORLDS 2 exhibit. 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.
Wilderness environmental service programs|The Rocky Mountain Field Institute needs volunteers to complete alpine restoration projects this summer at Crestone Needle and South Colony Lakes Basin in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. Four-day programs will be offered July 8-11, Sept. 1-4, and Sept. 8-11. A seven-day “volunteer vacation” will be Aug. 20-26 and is run in conjunction with the American Hiking Society. For information, contact RMFI at 719-471-7736 or rmfibox@qwest.net.
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, 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/.
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.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research|NCAR’s 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/.
TUESDAY
Solar water and natural gas heating program|”On Demand: Efficient Solar Water and Natural Gas Heating Technologies,” a presentation in the National Renewable Energy Society Visitor Center’s “VC Power Lunch Lecture Series,” will be at noon in the NREL Visitor Center, 15013 Denver Wet Parkway, Golden. Take a lunch. To register, call 303-384-6565.
Reagan White House science adviser talk|George Keyworth II, former President Ronald Reagan from 1981-1986, will give a free talk at 7 p.m. in room 270 of the Hale Science Building on the University of Colorado Boulder campus as part of the “Policy, Politics and Science in the White House: Conversations With Presidential Science Advisers.” For information, visit http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/scienceadvisors.
WEDNESDAY
Denver Field Ornithologists meeting|Nature photographer Bruce Gill will give a free talk, “Art and Ethics of Wildlife Photography,” at the 7:30 p.m. DFO meeting at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Enter through the volunteer/security door on the north side of the Museum.
Museum free day|The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., is offering free admission to Colorado residents from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Mr. Bones,” a “paleopuppeteer” will have life-size dinosaur puppets; “Secrets of the Dioramas” tour will be at 12:30 and 2 p.m. A scavenger hunt will be between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Separate admission fees to Phipps IMAX Theater and Gates Planetarium remain in effect. For information, call 303-322-7009 or visit www.dmns.org.
THURSDAY
Astronomy talk|”Colorado Skies: Celestial Mechanics,” an astronomy program, will be at 7:30 p.m. at 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, visit http://fiske.colorado.edu or call 303-492-5001.
FRIDAY
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield free day|The Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road, 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.
SATURDAY
Guided bird walk|Park naturalists will lead a birdwatching excursion at 9 a.m. at Barr Lake Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton. Take binoculars and a field guide. For information, call 303-659-6005.
Guided hike|Volunteer Naturalist Ron Claussen will lead a two-mile hike from Lucas Homestead to the Cherry Creek Trail in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. Meet at 1 p.m. in the Homestead parking lot. To register, call 303-688-5242.
Bone program|”No Bones About It,” a program about skulls, teeth and bones, will be at 1 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, East 56th Avenue at Havana Street. To register, visit http://rockymountainarsenal.fws.gov or call 303-289-0930.
To publicize upcoming events geared toward and open to the public, please mail 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.
