Contact Information Contact Information
- Dept Head: John Stokes
- 1745 Hoffman Mill Road
Fort Collins, CO 80524
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (M-F, except for holidays)
Natural Areas Newsletter Natural Areas Newsletter
Get Outside and Make a Difference!
Master Naturalists are highly trained volunteer educators who share their knowledge and experience with the community. As a Master Naturalist you will experience beautiful natural areas while you learn how to lead fun, hands-on field trips. An intensive training session of about 70 hours occurs this April.
Get Involved Beyond a One-Day Project
Are you looking for a way to give back to natural areas and open spaces? Do you like getting your hands dirty? Do you want to be involved beyond a one-day project? Become a Stewardship Volunteer!
After your training as a stewardship volunteer, you’ll work individually or lead small groups on a variety of service projects including: plantings, restoration work, gardening, trail building and maintenance, trash cleanups, and more.
Stewardship Volunteers participate in about 10 hours of training and work on projects that help manage and restore natural areas and open spaces. Training topics include the values of natural areas and open lands, outdoor safety skills, group management and restoration/trail building skills. Read the full job description.
Training dates are:
- Thursday, March 7, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 9, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Eagle Watches at Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area
Friday, February 15, 4-5:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 16, 4-5:30 p.m.
Bald eagles from the north make Fort Collins their winter home. They spend nights in communal roosts in cottonwood trees near the reservoir. Volunteer Master Naturalists are stationed at the viewing pier and explain the eagles’ natural history and help visitors view them through spotting scopes and binoculars. Eagle Watches require a short walk along a paved trail to a viewing pier. Drop in any time during these programs. Free and no registration is required, but if you sign up you'll receive email reminders and notices of cancellations. If temperatures are below freezing, or it’s windy or foggy, the Eagle Watches may be canceled.
Restoration at Kingfisher Point Natural Area
Restoration projects are one example of how residents and the Natural Areas Department conserve and care for natural areas now and for future generations. The restoration project at Kingfisher Point Natural Area will connect a stretch of the Cache la Poudre River to its floodplain and improve habitat. At Gadwall Pond, wetlands are being created and habitat will be enhanced. Visitors to the Poudre Trail might see heavy equipment and construction, but no trail closures are necessary.