Community Naturalist

Our Goals
To create lasting connections with nature and cultivate new conservationists.
What We’re Doing
Providing education programs, trainings, and resources.
Two girls walk through a stream.

People will only conserve what they care about, but people are decreasingly connected to nature. Our Community Naturalists deliver in-person and virtual environmental education programs to people of all ages to create lasting connections with nature in their communities. To engage even more people in bird conservation, we develop trainings and resources for educators.

If you're a parent, teacher, or educator, we can help you foster a love of nature and interest in science among your students. Download our free education resources, learn new curricula at an educator workshop, get involved in volunteer science programs, or join us for a field program in Wyoming or Colorado! For questions, please contact jacelyn.downey@audubon.org.

A woman and children look at a paper in a forest.
Education Resources
Two children take bugs out of a net.
Community Naturalist in Colorado

Community Science

You don’t have to be a professional scientist to make a real difference in the world of conservation. Community science is the collection and analysis of scientific data by everyday people in collaboration with professional scientists. There are endless opportunities for anyone to get involved in bird conservation through community science. The data you collect as part of these projects can be used in real-world studies, making tangible differences in our understanding of bird populations and how best to conserve them. By participting, you'll increase our ability to collect data and use it to conserve birds. To ask about community science opportunities, email Zach Hutchinson or call (307)-247-0700.

News
A Great-tailed Grackle perches in a tree.
Change Marks Bridgerland Audubon’s 67th Christmas Bird Count
January 20, 2023 — A member of the chapter in Logan, Utah, shares their 2022 count results and how local bird populations and habitats have changed.
A Northern Pygmy Owl perches among bare tree branches.
Camaraderie and Counting for Science
January 19, 2023 — Roaring Fork Audubon's 47th Christmas Bird Count highlights the community in community science.
Four people in jackets look across a pond. One of them is holding a spotting scope.
No, You’re Not Too Inexperienced to Join the Christmas Bird Count
December 22, 2022 — A beginner birder’s perspective and tips on attending your first Christmas Bird Count.
A girl stands in front of an icy lake, looking with binoculars.
Meet Sage, Pagosa Springs’ Emerging Bird Mentor
December 20, 2022 — Learn how her father, grandparents, and the Christmas Bird Count sparked a family tradition and a passion for birds.
A man hands a child a small net. They are standing in a river lined by vegetation.
Thank You, Volunteer Educators!
December 14, 2022 — Our volunteer environmental educators helped inspire hundreds of students in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, this fall.