Volunteers started Friends of Dinosaur Ridge and have been our lifeblood ever since!
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 over 230,000 visitors each year. As an organization with a small staff, volunteers are essential to fulfilling our mission of education and preservation. Please help us continue the legacy of education and preservation by donating your time and talents!
Contact Barbara at volunteer@dinoridge.org or at 303-697-3466 x107 if you are interested in any of the Dinosaur Ridge Volunteer Opportunities or for more information.
View more volunteer videos and testimonials and learn which Dinosaur Ridge volunteer role fits you best.
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Volunteer Training Classes:
We have several upcoming trainings for volunteers. Please click on our Volunteer Training Schedule for full details. Please note, volunteer trainings require RSVPs at least 3 days in advance at volunteer@dinoridge.org to guarantee a spot and sufficient materials.
Current Volunteering Opportunities
Below is a list of current volunteering opportunities. Click a title to expand the details of the project.
Bring fossils and geology alive by being a volunteer educator or tour guide at Dinosaur Ridge!
Do you enjoy working outdoors with children ages 3-18, or adult groups? Throughout the year, over 16,000 school children participate in our education programs and guided tours at Dinosaur Ridge or Triceratops Trail with a trained guide. Many of these tours are given using scholarship funds to schools that have 50% or more students receiving Free and Reduced Lunch. Our scheduled group tours and programs take place on weekdays for groups ranging from schools to senior centers, and have between 12-250 participants. Volunteer Tour & Program Guides are well-trained to help participants observe, discover, and interpret the fossil sites and geology found on Dinosaur Ridge. Guides may work alone with smaller groups or with up to five other guides for large tour groups, but it’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with. It’s a great experience for interpretation and education!
Our school tour times are usually Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-1 pm (depending on the type of tour), outdoors, mainly March-October, and allow for a flexible volunteer schedule.
Friends of Dinosaur Ridge participates in a variety of Outreach Events offsite at community festivals, fairs, and school events. Volunteers are needed to represent the organization at a booth featuring replica fossils, brochures & flyers about FODR, and occasionally an educational activity, We provide you with a well-stocked bin of materials, banner and tablecloth for to take to the event to be our ambassador! ys
Friends of Dinosaur Ridge also hosts several special educational and fundraising events during the year including Scout Days and Dinosaur Discovery Days. During these events, volunteers answer questions and give short interpretive demonstrations at different sites along the Dinosaur Ridge Trail. There are also hands-on opportunities at the Main Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center where helpers assist visitors with easy-to-learn track painting, gold panning, fossil sifting, metal detecting, orienting visitors, parking, crowd control (as needed), and event set-up and tear-down. Training is provided the day of the event for all hands-on stations. This is a great opportunity for small groups and businesses looking to volunteer group time.
We love having a steady stream of volunteers in our Exhibit Hall called Trek Through Time! Our volunteer docents greet visitors, answer general questions, give short tours (if desired), and occasionally collect cash. Trek Through Time is open 7 days a week, 9am-4pm, M-Sat, and 10:00 am-4pm pm on Sunday. Work once a week, every two weeks, or cover open shifts as needed. Training is provided.
Learn a fantastic new skill! You can learn how to cast replica fossils for use in educational projects at Dinosaur Ridge and for sale in the Dinosaur Ridge Gift Shops. Training is provided.
We have a variety of projects that always need doing around the site!
From making sluice bags, to trail maintenance, general landscaping, and painting, we have an endless supply of interesting tasks for volunteers to do year round. We also have opportunities for groups, Scouts (especially Eagle Scout projects), and families. Let us know your availability and interest, and we can meet with you to find a project that fits your needs!
Something we haven’t mentioned?
Do you have a skill or are you interested in something not listed above? Let us know and we can try to develop a volunteer position that is right for you, or find that special project that matches your skill!
For more information about volunteering with Friends of Dinosaur Ridge, please email volunteer@dinoridge.org or call 303-697-3466 x107.
