Did you log your volunteer hours yet?
Tracking your time helps us evaluate our volunteer programs, support grant applications, and ensures your contributions are recognized and celebrated!
Volunteer Training Dates
All volunteers are required to attend a training before participating in any new program. During these sessions, we’ll review volunteer roles and expectations, how to sign up for shifts, and tips for making the most of your volunteer experience. Trainings may be offered in-person or online, depending on the program.
While we don’t have any formal training dates scheduled just yet, shadowing opportunities are available for several of our programs, including:
Reach out to Jane today to learn more about training and how you can get involved!
Save the Date!
Volunteer Appreciation Brunch
Saturday, October 17
8:00am-12:00pm
Kingery Nature Center
Please join us as we celebrate the incredible hard work and dedication you’ve poured into Denver Audubon. This event is our way of saying thank you! Enjoy a morning of birding and connection with fellow volunteers, alongside curated refreshments and a variety of fun activities!
More details coming soon!
Enrichment Program Dates
Open to all Denver Audubon volunteers, these events are offered to help you learn new skills, boost your confidence, connect with others, and build community within our volunteers.
June: Ear Birding Workshop
Saturday, June 6
8:00-9:30am
Kingery Nature Center
All volunteers are welcome to attend!
This workshop will focus on "birding by ear" -- identifying birds based on their songs and calls -- and provide some tips about how you can get started or improve. We will also learn how to read spectograms and use the Merlin Sound ID app as a learning tool. Denver Audubon volunteer and board member, Jason Zolle, will be leading this program.
This program includes an in-class presentation followed by practice in the field. Please bring your binoculars and name tag.
Capacity is limited to 8 participants per session.
June: Native Plant Hike & Social
Thursday, June 11
8:30-11:00am at Matthew Winters Open Space Park
Followed by lunch at Launch in Golden
Join Native Plant expert & Denver Audubon Volunteer, Suzy Hiskey, for this slow-paced hike. It will be about 2 miles with lots of stopping to view native plants and discuss the avian, invertebrate, and other wildlife that benefit from each plant. Discussions will include information about which plants also thrive in residential landscapes.
We will travel on dirt paths with some uneven surfaces. The trail has minimal shade so please wear sunscreen and a hat, and bring water. Photographers and Gardeners encouraged. More info here.
This program is limited to 8 participants.
July: Native Plant Hike
Saturday, July 18
8:00-10:00am at O'Fallon Park
Join naturalist Marah Green for a summer morning native plant hike! We’ll be hiking the Meadow View, Bear Creek and Picnic Trail Loop. We’ll meet at the O’Fallon Park parking lot south of Bear Creek Rd.
This scenic 2.9-mile trail features beautiful views, starting with a gentle uphill climb before gradually descending. Expect an elevation gain of about 492 feet.
Marah will point out various native wildflowers, trees and plants that can be found on the trail. We’ll also be on the lookout for birds and talk about the relationship between native plants and bird species. More info here.
Space is limited to 10 participants, sign up today!
August: Art on the Wing
Saturday, August 23
9:00-11:00am at Table Public House
Open to all volunteers! Join local artist and birder Catie Michel for a morning of watercolor painting and observation. Catie will share an introduction to watercolor techniques, drawing principles, and tips for painting in the field. We will then venture outside to observe and paint local birds, plants, and our surroundings.
We will meet at Table Public House for the indoor session of Catie's workshop, before heading outdoors to observe birds along the S Platte River.
Notebooks, watercolor paint, brushes, and pencils are provided. Feel free to bring your own materials if preferred.
September: Worms at Work
& How to Compost
Date/Time coming soon!
Kingery Nature Center
Compost is helpful for fertilizing plants naturally, improving soil health, and reducing waste. You will learn how composting helps birds and gardens, about the various microorganisms that make good compost, the materials and proportions you need, and explore the best ways to compost for your lifestyle.
Led by Denver Audubon Volunteer, Suzy Hiskey, we’ll review cold compost, hot compost, commercial composting services, and vermicompost. Learn how to cold or hot compost by exploring both new and finished compost. Get ready to get dirty!
Registration link coming soon!
November: Denver Museum of
Nature and Science Archive Tour
Thursday, November 12
10:00-11:00am at Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Join us for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science!
You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the museum’s hidden treasures—many of which aren’t on public display. Led by museum staff, this guided tour offers a rare look at how the Zoology Department advances our understanding of global biodiversity through research, curation, and outreach. The collection houses over 1.2 million specimens, including approximately 53,000 bird specimens from around the world—dating from 1842 to the present, with a special focus on the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions.
You’ll explore the underground archives, learn how mammals and birds are processed, preserved, and studied, and get an up-close look at one of the most comprehensive natural history collections in the country.
Limited capacity. Registration begins Monday, August 2.
Volunteer Resources
These resources are available to volunteers and include an elevator speech you can use during public programs, a trail map of the Nature Center, tutorials for navigating our volunteer portal, and a link from our partner organization, Denver Field Ornithologists, with informative videos on improving your bird ID.
List of Services
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Welcome PacketList Item 1
Provided to new volunteers, this resource provides a "Make-It-Your-Own" elevator speech and ideas for sharing our mission
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Trail Map of Kingery Nature CenterList Item 2
A great resource to have if you're guiding a program at the KNC.
Designed by Crystal Beckel, Denver Audubon Community Naturalist final project, 2020
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Kingery Nature Center Bird Guide
Feel free to share and use this pamphlet to help visitors identify the various birds around the Kingery Nature Center.
Created by volunteer Andrew Wertheimer
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Using Neon: A Step-by-Step Guide for Volunteers
The guide will show you how to get started, how to sign up for volunteer shifts, how to register for events, how to navigate the portal, and more!
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Neon: Tutorial Video for Desktop Users
This video will show volunteers how to use the volunteer portal, Neon. We'll go through how to login, sign up for volunteer opportunities, register for public events, and how to log your service hours.
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Neon: Tutorial Video for Tablets/Smartphone Users
This video will show volunteers how to use the new volunteer portal, Neon. We'll go through how to login, sign up for volunteer opportunities, register for public events, and how to log your service hours.
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Bird Bombs by DFO
Denver Field Ornithologists (DFO) has kindly agreed to share their collection of presentations led by David Suddjian that provide helpful tips on bird identification.
Most of their videos are tied to a specific season and often air just before the topic is most relevant, so checking the season when an episode was produced can help you decide what to watch.
These are excellent resources to support your learning and volunteer work.
Test Your Bird Knowledge!
How well do you know your Bald Eagles? Take our quick quiz below—just hover over the images to reveal the correct answers! To dive deeper, you can read more about Bald Eagles here or browse our Common Birds of Denver page.
Mystery Bird
Were you able to guess the mystery bird from May’s edition of The Chat?
If you’re stumped, just hover over the image to the right to reveal another photo and to confirm your ID!
This is an American Avocet.
Have you spotted these elegant shorebirds lately? Known for their striking upturned bills and long, blue-gray legs, American Avocets are a seasonal highlight in our wetlands.
Fun Fact: During the breeding season, their heads and necks turn a beautiful rusty cinnamon color, which fades back to a soft gray in the winter. Keep an eye out for their unique sweeping motion as they sweep their bills through the water to find food.
This photo was taken at Belmar Park in Lakewood in April 2026.
Do you have a mystery bird that may seem tricky to identify? Email your picture to
Jane, Volunteer Coordinator.
