Volunteer For Open Space and Mountain Parks!

Over 1,000 dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers contribute thousands of hours of service every year to help care for our Open Space and Mountain Parks lands. Come join us!

Click here to log hours and sign up for shifts

Click here to download volunteer manuals, forms and other volunteer resources.

Learn about what recent volunteer groups have done for OSMP!

 Read the 2012 Volunteer Report 

Visit the E-Learning Hub for resources about plants, animals and history of  Boulder.

Stewardship Program - Recruiting for Spring 2013
The Stewardship Program provides service through learning opportunities designed for individuals, groups, organizations and businesses to care for open space.  Community stewardship events are available periodically. These require a separate online application for the specific project posted on this website.  If you would like to be notified of these events, please register as a prospect volunteer and we will keep you informed through email invitations.  Register here with this link to the stewardship application.

We are grateful for community involvement and your interest in working with us.  To organize a group volunteer project contact Kristin Weinberger at 303-413-7632 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Volunteer Event with Cure Organic Farm and OSMP, Thurs. May 23 - Event Full

Join OSMP and Cure Organic Farm from 9 am to noon on Thurs. May 23 to assist in transplanting thousands of seedlings from the greenhouse flats into the field. The history of agriculture in the area and the recent expansion of organic vegetable production on OSMP will be discussed. You will also learn what it takes to grow vegetables in this region (soil type, water, etc).

National Trails Day at Upper Big Bluestem, Sat. June 1

Help kick off the trails season with our first OSMP Community Volunteer Trail Project of 2013! Volunteers will help to build a new segment of trail, haul soil and move rock. The Upper Big Bluestem reroute will create a new trail alignment that will cause less impact to the wetland habitat in the bottom of the drainage and will improve overall trail sustainability. This project is physically arduous. Learn more about the project and register here.

Wittemyer Trail Construction Volunteer Project, Sat. July 13

Give a little of your summer to help build the new summit trail leading up the west side of Mt. Sanitas! Volunteers will clear the trail corridor, haul slash and construct trail. The Wittemyer West Sanitas Trail is being constructed to provide for a new approach to the summit of Mt. Sanitas from the west side. This project is physically arduous with a steep hike to the project site. Learn more about the project and register here.

Wittemyer Trail Construction Volunteer Project, Sat. August 10

Give a little of your summer at the second volunteer project to help build the new summit trail leading up the west side of Mt. Sanitas! Volunteers will clear the trail corridor, haul slash and construct trail. The Wittemyer West Sanitas Trail is being constructed to provide for a new approach to the summit of Mt. Sanitas from the west side. This project is physically arduous with a steep hike to the project site. Learn more about the project and register here.

Trail Guides - Program Full
Trail Guides travel OSMP trails enhancing visitors’ experiences. They provide visitor information on area features, natural and cultural history, seasonal changes, policies, safety, regulations and more. They also assist those in need, and serve as extra “eyes and ears” on the system. Click here for the Program Description and to learn more.

Volunteer Naturalists - Program Full
Volunteers provide interpretive nature hikes for children throughout the year. Training is every Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., February 5 through April 23. Click here for the Program Description and to learn more before applying.

Raptor Monitors - Program Full
Raptor Monitors help monitor raptor nest sites along the Front Range. Volunteers have the unique opportunity to witness the courtship, nest development and fledging of local birds of prey. Applicants should be skilled at bird identification, and able to make a four-hour commitment each week. Hiking to the nest sites can be strenuous. A few sites can be observed from a car. Nests are typically occupied from February until late July. Training is held in late January. Click here for the Program Description and to learn more.

Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol - Program 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 Mountain Bike Association (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 on April 9. Click here to read the Program Description and to learn more before applying.

Bat Monitors - Program Full
Holy Chiroptera! Bat monitors head out at dusk to ponds and bat roost sites, performing auditory and visual bat population counts June through September. Information gathered aids resource conservation decisions. Click here for the Program Description to learn more before applying.

Native Xeriscape Gardens -Program Full
Do you love to garden, get your hands dirty, watch plants grow and flower? OSMP maintains the Ann Armstrong flower garden at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage that showcases Boulder County's native wildflowers, shrubs and trees. Help keep the garden looking great and learn how you can grow these same water-wise, hardy and beautiful plants at home. Xeriscape does not mean "zero-scape!" Volunteers can take home seeds and some spare plants. Volunteers meet every Thursday from 9 a.m.to noon. Click here for a Program Description to learn more before applying.

Resource Restoration: Sign Care Project - Program Full
Open Space & Mountain Parks lands are visited by approximately 4.5 million visitors each year. We want our visitors to have a safe and satisfying experience - and you can help! Sign Care Project volunteers will help staff care for the "way-finding" signs which guide visitors through the system. Volunteers will travel trails on their own time to sand, paint and replace "way-finding" signs, and may also provide visitors with information based on the level of their training.

Mandated Community Service Stewards
These stewards contribute court-ordered community service time, helping staff with a variety of tasks. For further information, please email Dave Barry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Hosts - Program Full
Friendly volunteers greet the public and provide information at community events, trailheads and facilities, including Flagstaff Summit Nature Center (open weekends, June - fall, staffed 100 percent by volunteers) and Chautauqua Ranger Cottage. Training is provided periodically or for specific events. Click here for the Program Description to learn more before applying. This Host Online Application is active during recruitment periods.

Hayfield Monitors - Program Full
Volunteers familiar with the birds of OSMP grasslands can play a vital part in protecting sensitive species! They may survey hayfields at dawn or dusk, May - June, providing information on nesting birds of concern. This data helps staff plan for protection of breeding birds by coordinating mowing schedules. Click here for the Program Description and to learn more before applying. The Hayfield Monitor Online Application is active during recruitment periods.

Open Space Board of Trustees - Program 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. Call 303-441-3440 for more information.

Individual volunteer assignments and internships
The volunteers help staff with administration and research in resource conservation, education and outreach, planning and volunteer services. Contact the Volunteer Services Office at 303-413-7656 for further information.

Other information:

Visit the E-Learning Hub for resources about plants, animals and history of the Boulder area.

If you've explored our current programs and have ideas for new ones, please give us a call at 303-413-7656.

Volunteer Projects 

May 21, 2013

Markit on Demand joined OSMP to cleanup the grounds of the historic Axelson Property. The Axelson homestead was purchased by OSMP in 1990. Twelve volunteers removed tree slash, garbage and debris. Staff also hauled approximately one and half tons of materials off the property and moved 30 some tires to a central location to be recycled. Along with improving the aesthetics of the Axelson house, a little paint and creativity went a long way.  

OSMP's Cultural Resources Program Coordinator, Julie Johnson, joined the group to provide a historical cultural overview and mimicked the technique used at the Hannah Barker House, by Historic Boulder, which is to paint over the plywood boarded house windows. Our creative volunteers painted cats, curtains and flowers, and a pie cooling even made it on the west side of the house. Such a huge improvement. Thank you Markit on Demand for your energy, hard work and for completing this project!!

Markit On Demand is a design driven technology company based in Boulder that is part of a global financial information company headquartered in London. Volunteer contact, Jeffrey Malin, explained why they volunteered with OSMP: "Our company offers each employee several days each year of paid time-off for charitable and service work. With so many of our employees living close by and taking full advantage of the Open Space that Boulder offers, volunteering with OSMP was an easy choice because we're helping to improve our own community."

April 28, 2013

Pack 158 spent the day with Ranger Burton at Sawhill Ponds. Garbage from the day filled the back of a truck! Pack 158 spent two hours combing the shoreline and even venturing into the mud to pull out old barrels and cables. They pulled the wire baskets from dead plantings and found plenty of live cottonwood poles as well. Pelican squadrons made the day a great one. The kids want to return and finish the other 14 ponds!

March 20, 2013

Professor Becky Dickson's CU Environmental Writing Class volunteered to clean the Dry Creek Davidson Ditch  on Wed., March 20. This project focused on the importance of irrigation structures in the Front Range. Students learned that irrigation structures feed thousands of acres of agricultural land with water, and learned the history of the Dry Creek Davidson Ditch. The class maintained 800 feet and moved ¼ of a ton of organic materials from the Dry Creek Davidson Ditch!

Professor Dickson shared her reason for volunteering with OSMP:

"I have been volunteering for outdoor service events like this for about eight years now. In the past, we did events with the Sierra Club (weed pulls, tree plantings, and such); the Sierra Club had set up the event with OSMP or Boulder County. I still do that, but found that sometimes I had so many students that it was better to just go directly to the source."

This class is planning to volunteer with OSMP again in April. The students were a pleasure to work with! Another fantastic volunteer effort!

March 16, 2013

On Saturday, March 16 from 10 am to 5 pm 11 members from the University of Colorado Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity deconstructed three fourths of a mile of cattle fence that was causing land fragmentation for elk and deer to move freely to the north and south. The students worked exceptionally hard moving hundreds of pounds of fencing materials down a ridge to complete this effort.

The service director, Spencer Potter Hankin, of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity explains the reason they choose to volunteer with OSMP:

"Our group volunteered with OSMP because we see all the hard work that they put into maintaining Boulder's beautiful parks and open space and we really would love to give our time to help them continue this mission. As a group we have a great respect for the outdoors and not only want to give back to the community but also to the environment."

This was a great group to work with! They will be back for another project this fall.

March 8, 2013

Only Natural Pet Store volunteered at Bobolink Trail on Friday, March 8 to clean up dog waste; they have been working with OSMP for the last three years in this effort. A big applause to this group and their dedication to keeping our water ways clean.

March 2, 2013

On March 2, eleven CU Sewall Civic Engagement class members maintained 3,000 feet of cattle fence for six hours on the Gebhard property. Students learned the history of agriculture on the Front Range and how open space manages leased agricultural land with tenants. The class is a mix of academic study and community service. Students explore the ideas of commitment through readings and discussions, and engage those ideas in the field by working with community "partners" in organizations across the city and county. Students are required to complete six to eight hours of service activity for the one-credit course, and to work together in small groups on a semester project. The students learn through the course how to coordinate lines of study with actual work in the community, and how to build their own individual and group sense of responsibility through their community commitments. 

January 19, 2013

The city of Boulder OSMP hosted a volunteer project on January 19 for a Day of Service. Boulder County Elections collaborated with open space for a 18 person volunteer project at the Lousberg Gallagher Property. Volunteers deconstructed 1300 feet of cattle fence. Over 230 volunteers participated  throughout Boulder County in celebration of volunteerism.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 10:39