Frequently Asked Questions

1. How will COVID-19 affect my ability to volunteer for my raptor program?

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Colorado State Parks operations in significant ways. Still, raptor volunteering activities are allowed to continue at all state parks that have raptor monitoring programs. Please refer to this page to find CPW's COVID-19 policies and what is required of volunteers who wish to continue their duties during the pandemic.

2. Where can I find the log-in information for entering my observations on Zoho?

The username/email and password can be found on page 23 of the raptor monitoring volunteer handbook.

3. Where can I find the raptor monitoring volunteer handbook?

The raptor monitoring volunteer handbook is a PDF document that contains all of the information raptor monitors need to follow survey protocols, access Zoho, learn when and where to expect to see different raptor species, and much more. The handbook is emailed to you by the raptor monitoring volunteer coordinator when you are accepted to the raptor monitoring program, and can also be found under the "Park Maps/Field Sheet View" tab on Zoho. If you are unable to locate the handbook in either of these locations, email your lead volunteer or the raptor monitoring volunteer coordinator.

4. What is the time commitment to volunteer for the raptor monitoring program?

Raptor monitors should expect to make survey outings to their parks twice a month. The length of each outing will vary depending on how many nests you are checking during breeding season, how many zones you are surveying during the non-breeding season, etc. We ask raptor monitors for a one-year commitment when they first join the program.

5. Where can I find up-to-date maps for my park?

The Resource Stewardship Office at Colorado Parks and Wildlife produces maps of active and historic nest sites for each park with a raptor monitoring program. When a new nest is found in a park, maps are updated and sent out via email to the raptor monitors that volunteer at that park, and are uploaded to Zoho, where they can be found under the "Park Maps/Field Sheet View" tab.

6. How do I use Avenza?

Avenza is a great resource for raptor monitors. There are video tutorials for installing Avenza, importing CPW's raptor monitoring maps, and using Avenza's various tools in the field here.

7. How do I enter my hours on CPW Connect?

There are instructions on how to enter your volunteer hours on CPW Connect, CPW's volunteer hub, beginning on page 37 of the volunteer handbook. You can also find instructions on this website here.

8. Where can I volunteer?

This volunteer program conducts raptor monitoring in Colorado State Parks. We currently have raptor monitoring volunteer programs in over 25 of our state parks, though our goal is to have one in every park. If you live near a park that doesn't yet have a raptor monitoring program, reach out to Resource Stewardship staff about setting up a program!

9. Which parks currently have openings in their raptor programs?

Many of our state parks are currently accepting new volunteers for their raptor monitoring programs. Parks in the Front Range, and especially the Denver Metro area, get significantly more interest than parks elsewhere in the state, and most of these parks have waitlists for their raptor monitoring programs: St. Vrain, Barr Lake, Cherry Creek, Chatfield, Roxborough, Eldorado Canyon, Staunton, and Castlewood Canyon State Parks. If you would like to start volunteering for a raptor monitoring program soon after you apply, you will have a better chance of joining a program at state parks other than the ones listed above.

Please email DNR_CPWResourceStewardship@state.co.us to inquire about openings at a specific park!

Banner Photo: Erickson Smith, Lory State Park