VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Morrison Museum|The Morrison Natural History Museum, 501 Colo. Highway 8, needs volunteers to teach about local fossils and rocks using hands-on exhibits and interactive demonstrations. Training and mentorship provided. Volunteers are also needed to assist with reptile collection care, fossil molding and casting, and information desk/gift shop operations. Call 303-697-1873 or visit www.mnhm.org.
Xeriscape garden|The City of Aurora Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, needs volunteers. Call Abby Schreiber at 303-739-7356, or e-mail aschreib@auroragov.org.
Park weeding and trail maintenance|Roxborough State Park, 4751 N. Roxborough Drive, Littleton, needs volunteers most Thursdays through October to work with trained crew leaders to maintain trails. Volunteers are needed most Wednesdays through October to work with trained crew leaders to pull, snip and collect noxious weeds. For information, call 303-973-3959.
US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitor Center|School field trip program guides and docents are needed to serve as hosts and conduct programs appropriate for school groups, youth and scouting organizations, senior citizen and civic groups at the US Department of Energy’s NREL Visitors Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden. For information, contact Ivilina Thornton at 303-384-6566 or e-mail ivilina_thornton@nrel.gov.
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 is a nonprofit organization based in Colorado Springs, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of wildlands and key natural areas. RMFI accomplishes its mission through environmental service, education and research. RMFI programs are developed around comprehensive, multi-year or long-term projects developed in concert with land management agencies to meet critical preservation and restoration goals. Volunteers are needed 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.
Other multi-day volunteer projects are scheduled for June, Sept. and Oct.; regular workdays are scheduled in the spring and fall at Garden of the Gods.
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 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. For information, visit www.thedas.org, or call 303-871-5172 for reservations.
ONGOING
Kids nature programs|Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, offers a free program for kids ages 5 and under every Thursday with puppets, stories, activities and outdoor exploration. The same topic is covered at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., choose which time works best for you. For information, call 303-739-2428.
Bald eagle viewing|Barr Lake State Park Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton, loans binoculars Wednesdays through Sundays for viewing of newly-hatched eaglets. The view of the eagle nest is best from the Gazebo, a 1.3-mile walk south of the Nature Center. For hours of operation, call 303-659-6005.
Denver flowerbed tours|Denver Parks and Recreations is hosting three park horticulturist guided tours throughout the summer. The tours are $15 for adults, $7 for seniors and youth ages 5-12. Tour costs include transportation, refreshments and a small gift. Adult participants can purchase a discounted ticket packet for all three tours for $40. To register for a tour, call 720-913-0700.
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. For information, call 970-586-3262 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 children and adults. 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/.
TODAY
Snake program|Ranger Julie Arington will give a free program, “Snakes Alive,” with a live snake, at 1 p.m. in the Pikes Peak Amphitheater in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. For information, call 303-688-5242.
MONDAY
Archaeology lecture|”Community Structure and Mortuary Ritual in Late Prehistoric Central Kansas,” a free talk by Donna C. Roper of Kansas State University, will be at 7 p.m. in the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Ricketson Auditorium, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Enter through the west (Leprino Atrium) entrance. For information, call Red Couts at 303-752-4044 or visit www.coloradoarchaeology.org/Denver/.
Lunch lecture|”The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth,” a talk by scientist, explorer, conservationist and author, Tim Flannery, will be at noon at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitors Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden. Take a lunch. For information, visit www.nrel.gov/visitors_center or call 303-384-6565.
WEDNESDAY
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
Kids nature event|”Critter Tales Bee Smart,” a program for children aged 3-6, featuring a short hike and information about bees, will be at 10 a.m. at the Visitor Center in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 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.
Stars and planets program|”Birth of Stars and Planets,” a talk by Ben Brown of the University of Colorado, will be at 8 p.m. in the Fiske Planetarium on the CU Boulder campus. The program will be repeated at 8 p.m. June 9. Cost is $6 adults, $3.50 child/senior, free for students with valid I.D. (Thursday talk only, June 9 talk is $5 for students). For information, call 303-492-5001 or visit http://fiske.colorado.edu.
Kids nature program|A free “junior rangers” program for kids ages 6-10 years, will be at 9:30 a.m. at the Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora. The same topic will be repeated at 9:30 a.m. June 11. Choose which day works best for you. Call 303-739-2428.
FRIDAY
Lightning Data Center meeting|”Forensic Meteorology, a talk by Forensic Meteorologist Belinda Goody, will be at noon, following the 11:30 a.m. found table at St. Anthony Central Hospital, Auditorium A, 4231 W. 16th Ave.
SATURDAY
Guided hike|Naturalist Dennis Cook will lead a hike In Castlewood Canyon State Park’s East Canyon Preservation area, which is only accessible on naturalist-led hikes. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Visitor Center in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. Take binoculars and walking sticks, and be prepared to wade the stream with older footwear. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. To register, call 303-688-5242.
Smart Energy Living expo|The Colorado Energy Science Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Visitor Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, are hosting a free family-friendly Smart Energy Living Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be a variety of educational workshops, book signing by local author Dan Chiras, a “children’s activity and entertainment center,” and the NREL Visitor Center will be open , with interactive educational displays and activities. A Xeriscaping and water conservation area will have displays of plants and information about Xeriscaping. For information, visit www.smartenergyliving.org or www.nrel.gov/visitors_center/contact_visit.html.
Guided bird walk|Morrison Nature Center is offering a free guided bird walking excursion at 8:30 a.m. at Quincy Reservoir, 18350 E. Quincy Ave. Call 303-739-2428.
Denver Metro Xeriscape Garden Tour|The annual Denver Metro Xeriscape Garden Tour will be in Arvada June 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Six outstanding xeriscape gardens will be on the tour and Garden Club hosts and/or homeowners will be available to answer questions. Tickets are $15 per person and are available at all front range King Soopers and at key locations on tour date. For information, call 303-832-6390 or visit www.coloradogardenclubs.com.
Xeriscape seminars|The City of Arvada’s Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., is the starting/finishing location for the Denver Metro Xeriscape Garden Tour on June 10 and 11 and will host a series of xeriscape seminars from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seminars are $3 per person per seminar and pre-registration is required. Seminars are as follows:
June 10: “Xeriscape Planning and Design,” by Connie Ellefson, co-author of Xeriscape Colorado, will be at 9:15 a.m.; “Care and Maintenance of Your Xeriscape Garden,” by David Winger of Denver Water, will be at 10:15 a.m.; “Attracting Butterflies to Your Xeriscape Garden, by Amy Yarger of the Butterfly Pavillion, will be at 1:15 p.m.; “Less Lawn, Not Lawn-Less,” by Ken Ball, landscape architect, will be at 2:15 p.m.
June 11: “Xeriscape on a Budget,” by Jeff Tejral of the City of Aurora, will be at 9:15 a.m.; “Waterwise Gardening for Wildlife,” by Jeff Tejral, will be at 10:15 a.m.; “Xeriscape Basics and Beyond,” by Nancy Eastman, landscape designer, will be at 1:15 p.m.; “Xeriscape with Native Plants,” by Nancy Eastman, will be at 2:15 p.m. To register, call 720-898-7405.
June 11
Moonlight walk|A naturalist will lead a moonlight walk and discuss night flowers at 8:30 p.m. at South Platte Park, 3000 W. Carson Drive, Littleton. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a registered adult. Cost is $9 adults, $7 youth ($6 adults, $5 youth District rate). For information, call 303-730-1022. To register, visit www.sspr.org or call 303-347-5999.
Guided nature walk|A naturalist will lead a free nature walk at 9:30 a.m. in the Cooley Lake wildlife area in South Platte Park, 3000 W. Carson Drive, Littleton. To register, call 303-730-1022.
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.
