Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory seeks citizen science & education volunteers
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIRD OBSERVATORY
Conserving birds and their habitats
Contact: Kacie Ehrenberger, director of education, 303-659-4348 ext. 16; kacie.ehrenberger@rmbo.org
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory seeks citizen science & education volunteers
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory is recruiting volunteers in Colorado to count birds, collect migration
and nesting data, run education programs and more. Citizen scientists are needed for the following four
programs:
ColonyWatch: Monitor colonial waterbirds to gather information about colony size and locations to help
resource managers with long-term conservation. Volunteers are needed March through August at various
locations across Colorado. Requires the ability to recognize the 15 species RMBO monitors and to follow a
simple monitoring protocol. The necessary skills are easy to acquire; technical support is always available
from the project coordinator. Contact: Jason Beason, RMBO Special Monitoring Projects Coordinator, 970-
310-5117 or jason.beason@rmbo.org.
HawkWatch: Collect information about raptor migration, which is stored in an online database and
contributes to the understanding of raptor movements across North America. Training is the week of
February 20, and official counts start March 1 and end May 7 at Dinosaur Ridge in the Dakota Hogback
Natural Area, Morrison, Colo. Experienced volunteers are paired with those wanting to learn identification
and data collection skills. Contact: Jeff Birek, HawkWatch Coordinator, 970-482-1707 ext. 25 or
jeff.birek@rmbo.org (preferably before February 20).
Bald Eagle Watch: Monitor and collect data on nesting behavior and productivity and report any
disturbances that may affect nesting eagles. The data helps wildlife managers ensure continued healthy
populations of Bald Eagles. Monitoring takes place February into July from Brighton to Fort Collins,
Colo. Volunteers must attend orientation on January 21 at RMBO’s Old Stone House at Barr Lake State
Park in Brighton. Volunteers monitor designated nests weekly for a minimum of one hour, fill out data
sheets and enter data into an online reporting system. They must have transportation to nest sites and
a spotting scope or binoculars, and enjoy monitoring either alone or with another person. Contact: Kacie
Ehrenberger, 303-659-4348 ext. 16 or kacie.ehrenberger@rmbo.org (preferably by January 11).
Volunteer Naturalists: Teach citizens of all ages the importance of bird and habitat conservation through
in-class programs, field trips and educational outreach events in the Denver Metro area. Volunteers are
given 40 hours of training in March (basic ecology, ornithology, teaching techniques, public speaking) and provide at least 40 hours of service in a year following training. Passion about education and the outdoors,
but no experience in environmental education or ornithology, is necessary. Contact: Kacie Ehrenberger,
Director of Outreach and Education, 303-659-4348 ext. 16 or kacie.ehrenberger@rmbo.org
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory is a Colorado-based nonprofit that works to conserve birds and their
habitats from Montana into Mexico through science, education and stewardship.
Main office:
14500 Lark Bunting Lane
PO Box 1232
Brighton, CO 80601
(303) 659-4348
Fax (303) 654-0791
Fort Collins office:
230 Cherry Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521
(970) 482-1707
Fax (970) 472-9031
Scottsbluff office:
100547 Airport Road
P.O. Box 489
Scottsbluff, NE 69363
(308) 220-0052
Fax (308) 220-0053
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIRD OBSERVATORY
Conserving birds and their habitats
