Open Space and Mountain Parks Featured Volunteers: Dog Ambassadors
Volunteer Dog Ambassadors
Dog Ambassadors get out and volunteer with their furry companion, focus on modeling appropriate dog/guardian behavior, educating visitors about the voice and sight program, and sharing canine related safety and land stewardship considerations.
Roger Mathis
What’s your favorite thing to do on open space? Where?
My favorite thing is to hike with my dog and partner anywhere in Chautauqua, especially the Flatirons Loop.
What’s the most interesting fact you’ve learned since you started volunteering for OSMP?
I like the homestead name "Anderson" carved into a rock that I learned about on my mentor hike. It's just off Bluebell Road on the Mesa trail. He was one of the first people to have a quarry in the area and went on to become a member of the infamous company D in Boulder.
What skill(s) did you learn while volunteering with us?
The main thing I learned is that it's astonishing the number of people it takes to maintain and preserve the open space! This is a truly treasured asset and is what makes Boulder the place to be. It is an honor to volunteer my time.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would like to recommend volunteering to anyone who enjoys the outdoors and wants to make a positive impact in the community!
Don & Lisa Gillespie
What’s your favorite thing to do on open space? Where?
As avid birders, we thoroughly enjoy spotting raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds on Boulder Open Space. We love trails like Sawhill ponds for year-round viewing and wintering ducks, the Eagle trail is perfect for raptors (as its name implies), and our local Bear Canyon corridor is surprisingly excellent for the late spring migration of colorful "Jungle Birds" making their way up from Costa Rica and South America!
As volunteers we love to educate our visitors on how to use bird ID apps like Merlin and reporting apps like E-bird (both free from Cornell University) and we've lent our binoculars to passing hikers to get a glimpse of unusual sightings. We've also found some of our best spotting's have come from chatting with other birders on our trails (and, when offered, using their scopes)!
What’s the most interesting fact you’ve learned since you started volunteering for OSMP?
We've loved learning about the fascinating history of our open space program - a few years ago we had the honor of attending an OSMP anniversary presentation by some of the originators of the (modern) program from back in the 1960's. We are incredibly impressed at how these founders were able to galvanize the community to tax themselves in order to preserve Boulder's beautiful public lands. Their foresight in preserving our open spaces has been a gift to the following generations.
We were also fascinated to learn that Boulder open space has more yearly visitors than Rocky Mountain National Park.
What skill(s) did you learn while volunteering with us?
De-escalation training as well as emergency training has been helpful to experience, though thankfully have been skills that we have rarely, if ever, needed. People visiting our open spaces are generally in a great mood! Our dog ambassador training with Milo was useful, especially understanding why dogs should definitely stay away from prairie dog holes (Nesting rattlesnakes! Bubonic plague carrying fleas!).
We've also volunteered to feed baby lambs for an agricultural open space project, monitored bats, did trail construction, cleaned Boulder creek, and have helped staff the (seasonal) Flagstaff Nature Center. We enjoy the endless variety and new skills offered by volunteering with OSMP.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
We are both avid lovers of Boulder open space and enjoy giving back to the community by volunteering for such a great organization. In our early days, there was the invigorating challenge of hiking every trail in the system as well as doing the occasional triple peak, the skyline hike, and so on. Now, forty years later, we enjoy chatting with/educating/giving directions and/or recommendations to trail visitors with our 14 lb dog ambassador, Milo. And of course, birding! It is wonderful to know that we - as well as OSMP visitors - can all enjoy our gorgeous open spaces at any age.
Sandy & Buzz Bainbridge
What’s your favorite thing to do on open space? Where?
Our favorite Sunday morning activity is to hike the trails at Chautauqua as Dog Ambassadors with our 13 year old Golden, Sissy, our "Oldie Goldie".
What’s the most interesting fact you’ve learned since you started volunteering for OSMP?
The one we repeat the most often is that OSMP gets more visitors than RMNP.
What skill(s) did you learn while volunteering with us?
We find we are continually learning how to be positive representatives of OSMP and the City of Boulder. We are given training in handling uncomfortable situations and ways to educate the public on the amazing resources we have and how to preserve it for everyone's enjoyment. Of course we are continually getting in service training on the plants, wildlife, geology and history of the area.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
This has been a wonderful volunteer experience for all of us. We have met interesting visitors on the trails, have attended many informative classes plus have made friends with staff and other volunteers who share our love of nature.
Prudence Carter
What’s your favorite thing to do on open space? Where?
Favorite thing to do is chatting with visitors about what can be found when visiting Open Space: birds, insects, rocks, and just the natural beauty. Love Eagle trail and Enchanted Mesa-the raptors in the former and the views in the latter.
What’s the most interesting fact you’ve learned since you started volunteering for OSMP?
Learned about visitors and residents' passion for the outdoors and how important open space is for their physical and emotional well-being.
What skill(s) did you learn while volunteering with us?
I learned how to approach folks who are not experienced hikers, specifically chatting about how to manage the altitude and sudden changes in temperatures.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I loved the Dog Ambassador Program, walkers and hikers love seeing the dogs. An additional joy besides the beauty of the land.
