Volunteer For Open Space and Mountain Parks!
Over one thousand 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!
Volunteers: 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 2010 Volunteer Report 
Visit the E-Learning Hub for resources about plants, animals and history of the Boulder area.
Stewardship Program - Now Recruiting
The Stewardship Program provides service through learning opportunities designed for 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
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Volunteer Trail Projects for 2012
Volunteer on OSMP trail projects! Boulder trail crews are hosting several projects this season - one a month from May through August. Help build the new Homestead Trail re-route, the new Green Bear Trail, or work on the west side of Mt. Sanitas. Come once, or come often - we'd be happy to get your help on these hands-on projects.
Follow the links below for more information and registration for these projects:
- Green Bear Trail - May 5, 2012 - Project full, please email Kristin at
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to be placed on a waiting list.
- Homestead and Towhee Trails - National Trails Day June 2, 2012
- Homestead Trail - July 14, 2012
- Wittemyer/Sanitas Trail - August 11, 2012
Community Cleanup Day May 19, 2012
Pick Up Poop Derby at Dry Creek Trail Saturday, May 19 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
As a part of Boulder's Community Cleanup Day, please join us for the P.U.P. (Pick Up Poop) Derby to clean up after our furry friends, on Saturday, May 19th from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Dry Creek Trail. Afterwards, celebrate at an ice cream social from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Scott Carpenter Park (30th & Arapahoe, Valmont Bike Park (NE corner of Valmont & Airport Roads), or Harlow Platts Park (1360 Gillespie Drive). Register here.
Trash Pickup at KOA Lakes Saturday, May 19 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
As a part of Boulder's Community Cleanup Day, please join us for a trash pickup around KOA Lakes, on Saturday, May 19th from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Afterwards, celebrate at an ice cream social from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Scott Carpenter Park (30th & Arapahoe, Valmont Bike Park(NE corner of Valmont & Airport Roads), or Harlow Platts Park (1360 Gillespie Drive). Register here.
Trail Guides - Now Recruiting
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 before applying. To apply, please follow this link to the online application form.
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 before applying. Follow this link for the online application form.
Photo - 2011 Raptor Monitors and staff
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), 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. To apply, please follow this link to the online application form.
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 - noon. Click here for a Program Description to learn more before applying.
Volunteer Naturalists- Program Full
Volunteers provide interpretive nature hikes for children throughout the year. Training is every Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., February 8 through April 12 (except March 22rd). Click here for the Program Description and 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
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.
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% 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
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
On May 5th, 12 volunteers from the greater Denver-Boulder area gathered with members of the OSMP trail crew to work on the Green Bear trail reroute. Through their combined efforts, 150+ feet of new trail was cut and graded to spec, moving the project that much closer to its late-summer completion.
The rerouted trail boasts a more sustainable design that will minimize erosion on steep slopes and help to reduce overall human impact in the area. In addition, the new layout takes trail users through varied terrain, offering vistas of Bear Mountain, South Boulder Peak and the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.
A big thanks is due to all those who gave up their Saturday to wielding hand tools and hauling dirt. The significance of their work will be borne out by the beauty and sustainability of this new trail!
Jared Polis worked with AmeriCorps clearing Silver Lake ditch at Sanitas on March 15th. Jared was interested to meet the AmeriCorps NCCC Team in action and to show his support of this federal based program. The team was honored to meet a member of the United States Congress along with OSMP staff.
Ohio State University
To kick off spring, 14 students from the Ohio State Mountaineers Club spend a day of their spring break working on the Prairie Vista Trail. The group spent the week climbing in the Boulder area, but wanted to volunteer for one day. They spent the first day of spring working to bring Prairie Vista Trail back into compliance with OSMP’s accessible standards. The weather was beautiful and a lot of work was accomplished.
AmeriCorps
During 2011, two AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) teams worked with OSMP for four months. They helped in a variety of ways, including removing invasive Mediterranean sage; hauling up the Mallory Cave bat gate materials; constructing trail on the Green Bear and Greenbrier trail reroutes; maintaining numerous irrigation ditches and laterals; reseeding exposed land; removing miles of barbed wire fence; and assisting the Forestry Crew with fire mitigation work at Shanahan and Flatirons Vista. We are indebted to their service.
CU Students Help Maintain Historic Site & Irrigation Ditches
On October 22, Kristin Weinberger worked with a group of volunteers from CU's Sewall Hall. The students did maintenance on the Eggleston One irrigation ditch, clearing it of shrubs, leaf debris and other organic materials. Students also removed building debris from a historical homestead site on the Varra Property. Julie Johnson, OSMP's Cultural Resource Programs Coordinator, joined the group at lunch and gave the students an interpretative lecture on the homestead and the associated stage stop.
Eagle Scout Project: South Teller Lake/Accessible fishing dock
Life Scout, Troop 377 42 participants
This project helped make a trail more accessible to people with disabilities. Tasks included fixing several low spots to the entrance of the dam and dock areas, repairing a damaged rock wall, painting gates and trail posts in the area, and re-staining the wooden parts of the accessible fishing dock. In addition, scouts worked on removing vegetation from the path at South Teller Lake and resurfaced the area with 40+ tons of grey crusher fine material. Older scouts (one who was an OSMP Junior Ranger for 3 years and did his Eagle Project on Flagstaff) also added several extra layers to the rock wall at the dock's edge to 
help prevent erosion. At the end of the program, scouts were able to use wheelchairs to try out the finished product!
Eagle Scout Project: Cherryvale Trailhead/AccessibleTrail
Life Scout, Troop 575, 23 participants
This project helped make a trail more accessible to people with disabilities. Tasks included resurfacing the trail with crusher fine materials, and painting 5 gates and 2 trail post. In the morning, scouts worked on removing vegetation and old weed barrier from the wheelchair-accessible path at the Cherryvale Trailhead. They then resurfaced the trail with several layers of crusher fines, wetted down the areas with water and tamped down each new layer. The scout group resurfaced and crowned a total of 450 feet trail.
New Vista students help at Weiser property
A group of New Vista High School students volunteered at the Weiser property on October 10th through the 13th. Participants with the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) from Malawi, Suriname, Thailand and the Philippines, joined in on first day as well. These volunteers removed and estimated 8,800 feet of barbed wire, 147 posts, hauled out a twenty foot section of chain link fence that was buried in Boulder Creek and chipped Russian Olive trees from a twelve acre area. Volunteers received a historical educational hike of the Weiser property. They also learned about management practices for invasive species. The three days were very productive. The students, overseas guests and staff involved in the project were pleased by all that was accomplished. We appreciate their efforts.
WRV helps restore OSMP lands
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) assisted OSMP staff on two separate volunteer restoration projects. Wednesday, October 12th was the last of four workdays in 2011 for the long-term Boulder Creek stewardship partnership. Fifty volunteers, including students from New Vista High School, helped sow grass seed, plant shrubs and remove invasive weeds. 
This restored habitat will better support a variety of riparian and wetland dependent species including several neotropical migrant songbird species, the Northern leopard frog and the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. Restoring a healthy riparian zone in this urban setting will also benefit the local community by reducing nonpoint source pollution, mitigating flood hazards during rain events, and providing other benefits associated with functional riparian ecosystems.
The South Boulder Creek Aquatic Restoration was recently completed by contractors working with Don D’Amico and Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Using heavy equipment, the reach between Marshall and South Boulder Roads was narrowed and structures were created to add sinuosity and create deeper pools benefiting fish and other aquatic organisms. On October 15, 75 WRV volunteers assisted in the seeding and planting of a number of these areas with native shrubs, cottonwood trees and willow stakes. Other areas were left bare to benefit Northern leopard frog and Ute ladies’ tresses orchid habitats and to allow for future natural germination of cottonwood and willow seeds.
WRV is also helping to collect seeds in the vicinity of Rocky Flats. Since 2007, OSMP has partnered with Boulder County Parks and Open Space and WRV to spearhead a native plant propagation program specific to Rocky Flats and its surrounding city and county open space. Our current seed increase program is critical to conserving and promoting our unique native plant genotypes for ecological restoration.
CU leaders pitch in!
Last Sunday CU Gold, a CU Leadership group, joined OSMP at KOA Lakes for a volunteer clean up with the most garbage we’ve ever seen on Open Space! This enthusiastic group volunteered for a couple hours.
Last Updated on Monday, 14 May 2012 11:57
Open Space & Mtn Parks