Get Involved - Volunteer!
Our most valuable assets are YOU - our members. Everyone has unique talents, skills and enthusiasm that they bring to Audubon Society of Greater Denver. By volunteering you can make worthwhile contributions to the conservation and stewardship of the South Platte watershed.
Our volunteer opportunities typically fall into three categories:
- Standing committees & ongoing projects – Volunteers are always needed to help with these activities year-round. Usually, you can join in at anytime by attending committee meetings, contacting the committee chair for special assignments.
- Events & intermittent projects – Throughout the year there are a wide variety of volunteer jobs that involve volunteers for specific time frames, usually one day projects.
- Special Projects – If you have special skills or interests, let use know. Often we can fashion projects that build on your interest and fulfill a need or service for the organization.
Standing Committees & Ongoing Projects
Conservation Issues Committee - Reviews & takes action on issues affecting the environment. Meetings are usually on the second Tuesday of the month at 7pm. (Locations vary.) Contact Chairperson Polly Reetz at reetzfam@juno.com.
Field Trips & Travel Committee - Plans and leads classes, field trips and travel adventures for members and the general public. Meetings are typically the second Wednesday of the month at 2pm. Contact Chairperson Becky Beckers at agentbecky@aol.com.
Development Committee - Coordinates the fundraising activities and capital campaign for ASGD and the Audubon Center. Contact Carl Norbeck at cnorbeck@denveraudubon.org.
Audubon Center Committee - Manages the development, maintenance and use of the nature center facilities and site. Contact Susan Smith at ssmith@denveraudubon.org.
Spring Benefit Committee - Solicits donations for the annual auction fundraiser and coordinates logistics for the event. Event is planned for April 2008. Contact Janet (Boo) Sacks at jparbcom@earthlink.net. The 2008 Event is A Fine Feathered FUNdraiser - click here for information.
Education Committee – Serves as an advisory board for the school and youth environmental education program. Contact Susan Smith at ssmith@denveraudubon.org.
Volunteer Naturalists – Lead environmental education programs for schools and youth groups at the Audubon Center and at schools. Training is provided. Contact Susan Smith at ssmith@denveraudubon.org.
Office Angels – Volunteers assist with the daily operations of Denver Audubon. Includes data entry, preparing supplies for education programs and various other office tasks. Contact Rhonda Shank at rshank@denveraudubon.org.
Colorado Bluebird Project - Plans and coordinates education programs and projects year-round to promote improved habitat and nesting sites for bluebirds and citizen science research. Contact Chairperson Kevin Corwin at bluebirdproject@denveraudubon.org.
Events & Intermittent Projects
This is a list of the most common and frequent volunteer opportunities. It is not meant to be a complete listing and other projects will be posted as they arise.
Audubon Center Stewards – While the majority of projects happen between April and September, there are usually maintenance jobs that we need help with every month of the year. Contact Susan Smith at ssmith@denveraudubon.org. The most common service projects at the Audubon Center are:
- Gardeners – Help maintain and improve our native habitat gardens.
- Weed Warriors – This is a long-term habitat restoration project to rescue our native landscape from the invasion of noxious weeds.
- Trail Maintenance – Maintaining and clearing trails, closing social trails, fixing drainage problems on trails and near facilities.
- Cleaning Crew – Keep the buildings in tip top shape between programs.
Nest box construction – Help build bluebird boxes and assemble kits with the Colorado Bluebird Project. Contact Chairperson Kevin Corwin at bluebirdproject@denveraudubon.org.
Birdseed Sale Pick-up Days – Staff the birdseed pick-up day and assist members in loading seed orders into their cars.
Special Events – Help with activities like set-up, registration, gift shop, tear-down at special events, such as the Auction, Members Dinner, Legislative Conference, BioBlitz Festival, etc.
Festivals & Community Events – Staff a booth at various community events and share information on ASGD with visitors.
Mailing Crews – Volunteers stuff, seal, stamp and label various mailings throughout the year. The newsletter is mailed every other month.
Photography – We are currently building our digital image library and welcome contributions of wildlife and habitat photos. Occasionally, we also request photographers for special events.
Special Projects
If you have an idea for a special project that you would like to work on, please contact Susan Smith at ssmith@denveraudubon.org. Past and current examples include:
- Bird Taxidermy
- Photo Archive Imaging
- Library Organization
- Herbarium Collection
Additional Volunteer Opportunities for Master Birders
It is also our hope that Master Birders will work on projects that will put their training and expertise to good use. Examples include:
- Developing scripted programs and audio-visual aids for community and adult programs.
- Present programs to community organizations. Most popular topics are: Birdwatching 101, Creating Backyard Habitat, Feeding Birds, Identifying Backyard and Common Colorado Birds.
- Lead bird walks and bird counts. May also include guiding services for tourist and conference events.
- Take a leadership role in citizen science projects.
- Answer phone and email questions from the public.
- Developing interpretive brochures and displays on bird-related topics.
Report your volunteer hours!
We need your hours! Our volunteers are the life force of this organization and we want to be able to show it. Your volunteer hours become a part of our grant proposals, financial audit, and other reports. By demonstrating our community support (that's you!), we can secure more funding for our grassroots projects. Plus, we want to be able to recognize and thank you for your contributions.
To report your hours, you can send a quick email to ssmith@denveraudubon.org, call 303-973-9530 or download and use on of the forms below.
Volunteer Hours Reporting Form |
Committee / Project Reporting Form |
