Volunteering
In 1989, a group of volunteers including local politicians, state employees, geologists and paleontologists banded together to form the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. Organized originally to stop the looting of the unique resources along Dinosaur Ridge, this group also had a vision of sharing their collective knowledge about the area with their neighbors.
Since its inception, the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge has grown to host close to 100,000 visitors each year. Help us continue the legacy of education and preservation by donating your time and talents. If education and interpretation interest you, a great volunteer opportunity is right around the corner!
Volunteering Opportunities
School/Group Interpretive Tour Guide
Throughout the year, approximately 10,000 school children take fully guided tours of Dinosaur Ridge or Triceratops Trail with a trained guide. As a tour guide, you will interpret the geology and paleontology of Dinosaur Ridge and assist school children and other groups with recreating what life was like in Colorado 100-150 million years ago during the Age of Dinosaurs. Training provided. This opportunity is usually Monday-Friday, outdoors, mainly March-October, and flexible.
Facilitator
The Backyard Bones: Cretaceous Crime Scene Dinosaur Dig Program requires a facilitator that leads small groups of 20 or fewer on a hands-on program using the Dinosaur Dig pit at the Visitor Center. This program is targeted toward younger students and other chaperoned groups of 2nd grade or younger. Training provided.
Exhibit Hall Docent
Interpretive Specialists will get a chance to work in the Trek Through Time, the exhibit hall located at the Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center. Specialists will greet visitors, collect fees, and give short presentations in different areas around the Exhibit Hall. Training provided. This opportunity is available 7 days a week, year-round. Shifts are divided into a morning shift (10-1) and an afternoon shift (1-4), work once a week, once a month, or as needed.
Discovery Day Specialist
From May through October, on the 2nd Saturday, the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge host monthly special events called Dinosaur Discovery Days. During DDDays, Discovery Day Specialists answer questions and give short interpretive demonstrations at different sites along the Dinosaur Ridge trail. There are also hands-on opportunities at the Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center where Specialists assist visitors with track painting, gold panning, fossil sifting, metal detecting, orienting visitors, parking and crowd control (as needed), and set-up and tear-down. Training is provided the day of.
Fossil Casting Technicians
Cast dinosaur footprints, claws, teeth, and other small fossils that are sold in the gift shop or used for giveaways at special events. Fossil Casting Techs create these replicas as well as those used in educational programs. Training provided. Flexible opportunity, the casting area is open 7 days a week, year-round.
Community Outreach Provider
Represent the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge at various festivals and events throughout the Denver Metro Area. Duties include setting up an informational booth, facilitating hands-on educational activities (fossil sifting, etc.), distributing flyers and brochures, and answering general questions about Dinosaur Ridge. This is a great way to get free admission to many area events. Training provided. This opportunity is usually on weekends.
Something we haven’t mentioned?
Interested in something not on this list? Let us know and we’ll develop the position that’s right for you. We will train you for each of these positions or provide the opportunity to work with a mentor.
Contact Amber Cain to volunteer.
amber_cain@dinoridge.org
303-697-3466 x 107
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