VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Xeriscape garden | Volunteers are needed at the Aurora Water Xeriscape Garden, 15151 E. Alameda Pkwy. For information, contact Abby Schreiber via e-mail at aschreib@ci.aurora.co.us or at 303-739-7356.
Anasazi Heritage Center | The Anasazi Heritage Center, (located three miles west of Dolores), needs volunteers to provide visitor information and to help maintain the museum’s grounds. Volunteers usually work one four-hour shift a week in the morning or afternoon. Benefits include attending field trips, special programs, events and workshops. For information, contact Victoria Atkins at 970-882-5610.
Park ranger assistant | Larimer County is training people to be park ranger assistants at area parks in May. Training at Horsetooth Reservoir will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 5 at the Sail and Saddle Club; training for volunteers to be park ranger assistants at Carter Lake will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 21at the Bison Visitor Center. To register, e-mail Dutch Fla Havhan at dflahavhan@larimer.org or call 970-679-4552.
Botanical gardens | Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York St., needs volunteers for its 58th annual plant sale in May. Both morning and afternoon shifts are available on May 12 and 13. Volunteer benefits include a ten percent discount on plant sale purchases, a free t-shirt, free refreshments and lunch. For information, e-mail volcoord@botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3565.
Trail guides | The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks needs trail guides to visit trailheads and hike trails on OSMP lands six-10 hours per month, providing visitors with information on area features, seasonal changes and local and natural history. Free classroom and field training is provided in four sessions. For information, visit osmp.org or call 720-579-4161.
Trail work | The Colorado Trail Foundation needs volunteers to do trail work and other volunteer tasks. Trail work happens from June to August and work events are from a single day to a week long. For information, visit coloradotrail.org.
Bird observatory | The Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory needs volunteers to teach educational programs at Barr Lake State Park and Dinosaur Ridge through June. Training will be provided in specific program-content and teaching techniques. Programs are approximately 2 hours in length and occur in the morning. Eligible volunteers should be able to commit to 20 hours between now and June. Contact Amanda Morrison, Assistant Education Director at 303-659-4348, ext. 6# or via e-mail at Amanda.Morrison@rmbo.org.
Trail work | Trails 2000 builds and maintains trails and educates trail users. Volunteers are needed to do trailwork. To sign up for details and weekly trailwork reminders, sign up for Trail 2000’s EList at trails2000.org.
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 mnhm.org.
Park weeding and trail maintenance | Roxborough State Park, 4751 N. Roxborough Drive, Littleton, needs volunteers to work with trained crew leaders to pull, snip and collect noxious weeds and help maintain the hiking trails. 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 with youth and adult education programs offered by the Museum’s Education Department. Volunteers conduct tours, assist with hands-on activities, teach in the flight simulator lab and conduct our Project Pilot course. Project Pilot is a team building course in which students learn the basics of flight planning and then fly a mission in the Museum’s Flight Simulator Lab. Wings offers progressive training for all of these volunteer positions. Aviation experience is a plus, but is NOT required. Contact the Education Department at 303-360-5360, ext. 106 or 116, or education@wingsmuseum.org for information.
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 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 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.
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 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. Regular workdays are scheduled in the spring and fall at Garden of the Gods. Contact RMFI at 719-471-7736 or e-mail rmfibox@qwest.net for information.
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 thedas.org, or call 303-871-5172 for reservations.
ONGOING
“Eagle Watch” program | Larimer County Parks and Open Lands will be conducting an Eagle Watch program each weekend through this spring. Park rangers will lead a four-mile, round-trip hike through spring flowers and vast panoramas of Eagle’s Nest Open Space to the viewing location. With the aid of a telescope, you will be able to see one of the adults sitting on the cliff face nest hundreds of feet above the North Fork of the Poudre River. Soon, participants will be able to see fuzzy head of the chicks appear as the adults bring the food. May through June, you can see the chicks grown larger and change to dark plumage, and even learn to stretch their wings and practice flight. The first “Eagle Watch” program will be at 10 a.m. May 5. Meet at the Eagle’s Nest Open Space trail head, one mile south of Livermore. Register by calling Park Manager Charles Gindler at 970-498-5606 or e-mail cginder@larimer.org. After registering, you will be called or e-mailed with a date and time to meet at the Eagle’s Nest Open Space trail head for a hike to the viewing site. For more information, visit larimer.org/parks.
Guided flowerbed tours | Denver Parks and Recreation will host five guided flowerbed tours throughout the summer focused on perennials, annuals and new features at City Park. Park horticultural experts will guide the tours. Each tour is $15 for adults, $7 for seniors 60 and older and youth 17 and younger. Tour costs include transportation, refreshments and a small gift. Register for the tours by calling 720-913-0700.
Wildflower tours | The Denver Botanic Gardens is offering free wildflower tours on Mount Goliath Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 19 through Aug. 2, and Saturdays June 30, and July 7 and 28. The hike is a moderately difficult 1.5 mile downhill trek, and is from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and leaves from the US Forest Services Clear Creek Visitor Center in Idaho Springs. To register, call 720-865-3533.
Nature movies | Morrison Nature Center, 16002 E. Smith Road, offers a free nature movie, popcorn and hands-on projects at 2 p.m. the 3rd Sunday monthly. To register, call 303-739-2428.
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.
Kids nature programs | Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, offers a free program for kids ages 6-10, “Junior Rangers,” which meets the second Thursday and Sunday of the month at 1:30 p.m. To register, call 303-739-2428.
Science open house | The Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, offers a free open house with hands-on science activities from 1 to 4 p.m. on the third Sunday of the month. To register, call 303-739-2428.
Map and compass class | The US Geological Survey hosts a free map, compass and orienteering class at 1 p.m. the first and third Fridays monthly 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 303-497-1174or visit 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 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.
“AWQUA Lounge” kids nature programs | Morrison Nature Center is offering a free plants and animals program for kids ages 6-10 the third Wednesday monthly. The May 16 program is called “Explore the Shore,” and will be at 3:30 p.m. at Aurora Reservoir, 5800 S. Powhaton Road. There is a $5 per vehicle entry fee to access Aurora Reservoir. To register, call 303-739-2428. For information, visit auroragov.org/parksandopenspace.
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 .
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 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 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 colorado.edu/fiske/.
Field ecology internship | Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory will host a field ecology internship for high school science teachers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 18-29. The focus of the workshop will be ecological complexity. Participating teachers will work with Colorado State scientists on an authentic research project that can be transferred into high school classrooms. Participants will receive a $750 stipend. To apply, send your name, address, phone number, home and school e-mail addresses and a list of the current subjects you teach. Include a brief statement of how this training will be used in your classroom. Information must be on school letterhead; limit the application to one page. Send the application information to Kim Melville-Smith, NREL, 1499 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, 80523-1499. Deadline for registration is May 18. For information, contact Melville-Smith at 970-491-7715 or e-mail Kimberly.Melville-Smith@colostate.edu.
MONDAY
Tree program | South Suburban Parks and Recreation invites youth ages 4-5 to South Platte Park, 3000 W. Carson Dr., from 9:30 to 11:20 a.m. on Mondays May 7-21, to explore a tree from the roots up, trace time through its rings and much more. Cost is $41 ($31 District rate). Call 303-730-1022 for more information. Register at sspr.org or call 303-347-5999.
WEDNESDAY
Aquatic nuisance species workshop | Colorado Weed Management Association and Colorado State Parks are offering an “Aquatic Nuisance Species” workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Inn of the Rio Grande. The workshop covers current management programs in Colorado, research projects from Colorado State University, University of Colorado and University of Denver, statewide mapping and planning efforts, and the background, biology and control methods for high priority species such as Eurasian watermilfoil, New Zealand Mudsnail, Quagga Mussels; as well as updates on potential new invaders. Cost is $20 for Colorado Weed Management members, $25 for nonmembers. Register forms and information can be found at cwma.org and faxed to 303-220-5833. For information, contact CWMA at 303-779-7939.
THURSDAY
Beginning birding skills program | South Suburban Parks and Recreation invites ages 10-adult to South Platte Park, 3000 W. Carson Dr., from 5:30-8 p.m. to practice using field guides and binoculars to get started in the easy hobby of Bird Watching. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a registered adult. Fee: $9 adults, $7 youth ($6 adults, $5 youth District rate). Call 303-730-1022 for more information. Register at sspr.org or call 303-347-5999.
FRIDAY
Blue Mountain Conservation Area tour | The Larimer County Open Lands Program and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District are allowing an exclusive 6-hour tour of Ramsay-Shockey Open Space, Pinewood Reservoir, Chimney Hollow Open Space and the potential Chimney Hollow Reservoir south of Loveland. The tour begins at 8:30 a.m. Wear hiking shoes, and take water, lunch, binoculars and a camera. The hike is rated “moderate difficulty.” To register, call Ann Dewey at 970-679-4561.
Lightning Data Center meeting | “Lightning, Cardiac Arrest and Defibrillators,” a talk, will be at noon, following an 11:30 a.m. roundtable in St. Anthony Central Hospital’s Auditorium A, 4231 W. 16th Ave.
SATURDAY
Guided bird walk | Morrison Nature Center is offering a free guided bird walk at 8:30 a.m. at Ponderosa Preserve. Take binoculars and a bird book or borrow then from Morrison Nature Center. For directions and to register, call 303-739-2428. Visit auroragov/parksandopenspace.
Spring bird count | The Rio Grande National Forest and the Alamosa-Monte Vista national Wildlife Refuges, in cooperation with other State and Federal Agencies, are celebrating International Migratory Bird Day with the annual “Spring Bird Count,” beginning at 6:30 a.m. The event is open to all birders, novice to expert. Meet at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge Office, 6 miles south of Monte Vista on Highway 15. Transportation is provided, and some moderate walking is expected. Half-day participants can be accommodated. Wear field clothes and boots, and take a lunch, water, binoculars and field guides. For information, contact John Rawinski at the Rio Grande National Forest, 719-852-5941.
Kids nature program | “Ocean Shore,” a program for kids ages 6-10, focusing on different animals and their habitats, will be at 10 a.m. at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St. Kids also get to make a project to take home. Cost is $10. To register, call 720-898-7405.
Guided wildflower hike | “Wildflowers,” a three-hour naturalist-guided hike at Horsetooth Mountain Park, will beginning at 9 a.m. at the original trailhead off of County Road 38E west of Fort Collins. The hike is rated “easy to moderate.” A $6 Park Entrance Permit is required per vehicle. For information, call Ann Dewey at 970-679-4561.
Birding program | “Birding the Woodlands on International Migratory Bird Day,” a program and guided bird-watching excursion, led by Volunteer Naturalists Karen and Ken Metz will be at 7 a.m. in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. Meet a the Westside Trailhead Parking Lot. Take binoculars and wear sturdy shoes. A $5 daily State Parks pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. To register, call 303-688-5242.
Guided drive | A free guided drive up Golden Gate Canyon to explore Golden Gate Canyon as it was in 1880, will be at 9:30 a.m. Meet at Dinosaur Ridge Visitor’s Center, 16831West Alameda Pkwy., Morrison. Take a picnic lunch. To register, call 303-697-3466.
Hound hike | Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown, is offering a guided hike for humans and their dogs at 9 a.m. at the Event Facility Shelters. There will be a two-mile hike and discussion about trail etiquette, training, and keeping your dog safe and comfortable while enjoying the outdoors. A $5 daily State Parks pas is required for all vehicles entering the park. To register, call 303-688-5242.
Guided hike | Great Outdoors Interpreter Ron Claussen will lead a hike and discuss waterfalls, pools and grottos at 10 a.m. in Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown. Meet at the Visitor Center and take a camera if desired. A $5 daily State Parks pas is required for all vehicles entering the park. To register, call 303-688-5242.
Wildflower walk | Morrison Nature Center is offering a free guided wildflower walk at 1 p.m. in Ponderosa Preserve in Aurora Open Space. For directions and registration, call 303-739-2428. For information, visit auroragov.org/parksandopenspace.
Zoo bird event | The Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., is celebrating “Flying Wild,” as birds begin migrating back to the zoo. Learn about the birds that inhabit the Denver Zoo, and go bird watching from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discovery Stations are set up to teach you how to help birds and to make a bird craft to take home. Activities are free with admission. For information, call 303-376-4800 or visit denverzoo.org.
May 13
Mother’s Day guided hike | “Mother’s Day at Eagle’s Nest,” a three-hour naturalist-led hike will be at 9 a.m. at Eagle’s Nest Open Space at Livermore, north of Fort Collins. The hike includes an educational look at nesting eagles. Take plenty of water and dress for changing weather. The hike is rated “easy to moderate.” For information, call Ann Dewey at 970-679-4561.
Zoo mothers event | The Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., is celebrating Mother’s Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet the zoo’s newest babies and learn how mother of the wild kind care for their young. Activities are free with admission. For information, call 303-376-4800 or visit denverzoo.org.
To publicize upcoming events geared toward and open to the public, please mail details at least two weeks in advance to Andrea Labak, Scientifically Speaking, The Denver Post, City Desk, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, CO 80202, or e-mail to Scispeak@denverpost.com.
