Ways to Get Involved

Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National wildlife refuges provide many opportunities for you to help your community and fish and wildlife by doing what you love. 

National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors, and residents to make a lasting difference. 

Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying. 

Volunteers: Gain new experiences and meet new people while helping to advance wildlife conservation. 

Friends: Join neighbors in helping refuges restore habitat and expand access to green space. 

Landowners: Learn how you can partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to voluntarily restore land. 

Local Groups: Find out how communities can work with refuges better for wildlife and people.  

Youth: Explore paid and unpaid opportunities to learn and develop leadership skills. 

Volunteering

Discover for yourself what tens of thousands of volunteers have learned - volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is fun and rewarding in many ways. Master new skills. Meet new friends. Enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow. Check out our station's latest volunteer opportunities on volunteer.gov. or call 303-289-0232.

Volunteers are involved in a wide variety of activities such as visitor services, environmental education, interpretation, community outreach, habitat, maintenance, trail monitors, and wildlife biology.

Environmental Education Program Assistant

Prepare and conduct environmental education programs for students in grades K- 12 using established curriculum and lesson plans. Field programs may be staff/volunteer led focusing on wildlife and habits on the Refuge. Assistant will apply creativity, enthusiasm, and personal knowledge in program delivery. An interest in teaching children about wildlife is a must.  

Refuge Gardener

Volunteers maintain many gardens located on the Refuge that help pollinator populations grow and are filled with dozens of native species. Not only do these gardens help bees and butterflies, but we also use the seeds to plant native flowering and shrub species around the Refuge. An interest in gardening is required for this position which includes planting, watering, and weeding.

Trail Crew

Refuge trails are an essential part of the visitor experience. Volunteers will help maintain trails by repairing flood damage and removing downed trees or limbs. They monitor Refuge trails noting any maintenance problems. Interest in working outdoors and hands-on experience with tools is required.

Archery Assistant

Experienced archers can help children and adults of all different skill levels and abilities to experience the thrill of shooting an arrow. Volunteers do not need to be expert archers but do need plenty of patience and an enthusiasm for the sport. Refuge archers work with individuals and groups of all ages and abilities to assist them with safe and fun practices.

Biology Assistant

Volunteers assist Refuge biologists in conducting surveys, wildlife observation, specimen collection, and data entry. Experience in species identification and classification is preferred. Good physical condition, the ability to work in all types of weather and general comfort with wildlife behavior is important. Position availability subject to seasonal conditions.

Field Observer

Observers assist Refuge staff with GIS digitizing, GPS data collection, and map making to assist Refuge staff to restore native habitat at the Refuge. They will focus on mapping weed infested areas and locations of Russian olive trees. Some experience working with Arc GIS software and GIS programming is preferred.

Habitat Assistant

Help staff in restoring native prairie at the Refuge. Duties include field work activities such as landscaping, watering, seed collecting, planting, and weeding. Also volunteers will perform biological monitoring activities such as plant species identification, classification, and maintenance of databases. Good physical condition and the ability to work in all types of weather are important for this position.

Maintenance Assistant

Assistants will perform light to moderate maintenance work. Duties may include light construction or carpentry, and general upkeep of Refuge facilities. Volunteers will also assist with vehicle maintenance. Good physical condition and familiarity in using power tools is preferred.  

Naturalist

Volunteers will prepare and conduct interpretive programs for visitors of all ages using established program outlines. Topics of nature programs can vary depending on personal interests. Program leaders are encouraged to apply enthusiasm, creativity, and personal knowledge in the program delivery. Interests in teaching others about wildlife and history of the Refuge are a necessity.

Our Partners

Working with our neighboring communities and the greater metropolitan Denver area is a cornerstone of this Refuge. We provide unique environmental education field trip experiences and hands-on outdoor learning activities for youth of all ages to learn about and observe wildlife in their natural habitat. We also have a variety of stewardship programs to connect youth to the nature and the outdoors as well as creating school yard habitats in neighborhood schools. For more information call 303-289-0232.

Outreach

Open the door to a potentially life-changing experience. If you land a student internship, fellowship, or volunteer opportunity at a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge , fish hatchery, or other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service site, you’re bound to come away with new insights and excitement about conservation.