Volunteer with OSMP

Adaptive recreation volunteers will support outreach staff by assisting with adaptive programming for people with disabilities. Programming to include, but not limited to wheelchair hikes and all-terrain handcycle rides for both people with disabilities and people just wanting to have a better understanding of disabilities. There may be some assembling/disassembling of wheelchairs for transport, basic handcycle maintenance, and lifting involved.
Program currently full.

Volunteers have been helping Open Space and Mountain Parks staff care for healthy ecosystems for many years. Agricultural monitoring supports staff knowledge of soil and plant health on agriculture properties. The data collected in this project will inform sustainable decision making regarding grazing, crop rotation and other integrated management practices.
Program currently full.

Bat monitors head out at dusk to ponds and bat roost sites, performing auditory and visual bat population counts May through September. Information gathered aids resource conservation decisions.
Program currently full.

The Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol is a multi-agency program with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), City of Boulder Parks and Recreation, and Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA). Patrollers ride trails, assisting and educating mountain bikers and other park users. The goal is to promote a positive recreational experience on the trails. All volunteers are required to attend a one day training. Volunteers may contact patrol@bouldermountainbike.org with questions.
Program currently full.

Maintain the Ann Armstrong Memorial Native Garden at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage while learning how to cultivate many kinds of Colorado wildflowers, shrubs and other native plants. Volunteers provide information on native gardening to curious visitors. Minimal gardening experience necessary.
Recruiting this spring.

Volunteer Naturalists lead inspirational and educational hikes that help connect children to OSMP’s natural and cultural history, conveying the vital message of resource stewardship. Leading programs that focus on environmental education and enrichment, volunteer Naturalists frequently visit local schools for in-class programs, in addition to leading outdoor educational experiences throughout our trail system. With access to many different OSMP educational props, volunteer Naturalists are able to give back to their community by teaching the next generation of Boulder leaders.
Program currently full.

Volunteers appointed by City Council research issues, advise on policy, and recommend purchases of properties. This assignment requires application through the City of Boulder.

Please visit the Open Space Board of Trustees page for more information.

Beginning in 1985, Volunteer Raptor Monitors have helped protect important nesting sites along the Front Range by providing weekly observation reports to OSMP staff throughout the breeding season (February through July). Volunteer raptor monitors conduct site visits that frequently last several hours at a time, observing raptor behavior, nest status, and fledgling activity. This information is utilized by OSMP ecologists to make resource management decisions, including seasonal closures. Additionally, Raptor Monitors are trained on how to efficiently report any closure violations they observe, further protecting raptor nest viability. Volunteers commit to a minimum of 4 hours per week during the breeding season, and agree to keep nesting site locations confidential.
Program currently full.

Invasive weeds can degrade habitat, reduce plant and animal diversity and alter ecosystem balance. Addressing weed management early and often is key to conserving sustainable open lands. Volunteers assist land managers with assigned mechanical eradication efforts as a part of an integrated land management plan. Resource Restoration Stewards make a seasonal commitment in their designated area. Volunteers work independently on a schedule that is convenient to them.
Program currently full.

OSMP Trail Guides/Park Patrollers enhance and promote positive visitor experiences. They provide visitors with information on recreation, natural and cultural history, safety, regulations and more. Trail Guides assist visitors in need and serve as extra eyes and ears on the OSMP system.

Apply for Trail Guide/Park Patroller

Visitor Ambassadors greet and assist visitors at Chautauqua Ranger Cottage, Flagstaff Nature Center, Chautauqua Trailhead, and occasionally at other OSMP trailheads and events. (You can choose to work at one location or various.) Some Ambassador work is done alongside staff and other times on your own or with other volunteers. Ambassadors provide information on OSMP natural and cultural resources, trails and directions, safety considerations and hiking tips and observe and report visitor issues and inquiries.

Apply for Visitor Ambassador

Event photographer volunteers capture photographic images during volunteer project events to help support future media and messaging.
Program currently full.