City seeking Citizen Scientist Volunteers for the Nature in the City program

Zoë Shark

Are you a bird or butterfly enthusiast who loves to get outdoors? Combine your passions this summer and become a Citizen Scientist with the Nature in the City program! As a volunteer, you will learn to monitor urban wildlife across Fort Collins and support conservation efforts. Applications are due May 1 at engage.fcgov.com/d/na.

No previous experience is necessary! Trainings will be held Thursday, May 3rd (5:00-7:00 p.m.) or Saturday, May 5th (9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.), and the surveys will be completed over the summer. Volunteers must be 18 or older (children can accompany adult volunteers), and must commit to one of the two-hour training sessions and to completing four surveys throughout the summer (each survey lasts about 10 minutes). To learn more about the project, visit: fcgov.com/natureinthecity/volunteer-biodiversityproject.php

Sampling points are in public and private natural spaces including city parks, natural areas, and open spaces in residential and commercial developments. Volunteers will visit sampling points and record what they observe during various times this summer.

Bird Surveys- “Point count surveys” for birds are conducted between 6:00-10:00 a.m. Citizen scientists spend five minutes listening and looking for birds from a list of 15 species.

Butterfly Surveys- “Pollard walk surveys” for butterflies are conducted between 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Citizen scientists walk along a line and use butterfly nets to capture, identify, and release butterflies from a list of 10 species.

The Citizen Science volunteer program is sponsored by City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department’s Nature in the City Program, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Colorado State University’s Global Biodiversity Center.

For more information, visit fcgov.com/natureinthecity/ or contact Allison Mitchell, amitchell@fcgov.com.