Every Friday, we post ways that you can contribute to making our region a greener place, including events, community science projects, jobs, internships, scholarships, and direct actions. If you have something you would like included in the next round-up, please email us at info@rockymountainwild.org.
Oil and Gas Lease Sale Comment and Protest Periods
Speak up for Mule Deer in Montana
Montana Bureau of Land Management’s proposed January 2026 oil and gas lease sale threatens wildlife and wildlands. Paige’s screen shows overlaps with winter habitat for mule deer. There are also parcels proposed in National Grasslands Roadless Areas and within 10 miles of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Use Rocky Mountain Wild’s resources to engage on the sale. Protest due December 4.
Photo of Mule Deer in the First Snow by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (CC BY 2.0).
Protect Sage-Grouse, Wilderness Quality Lands and more in Colorado
Colorado Bureau of Land Management’s proposed March 2026 oil and gas lease sale threatens wildlife and wildlands. Alison’s screen shows overlaps with habitat for greater sage-grouse including priority habitat, Little Book Cliffs Wilderness Study Area, white-tailed prairie dog, and many others. Use Rocky Mountain Wild’s resources to comment on the sale. Comments due December 12.
Photo credit: Tom Koerner/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
ACECs in New Mexico Need Your Help
New Mexico Bureau of Land Management’s proposed May 2026 oil and gas lease sale threatens wildlife and wildlands. Paige’s screen shows overlaps with Chosa Draw and Chosa Draw Caves Complex Areas of Environmental Concern (ACECs), lesser prairie chicken, big game and others. Use Rocky Mountain Wild’s resources to comment on the sale. Comments due December 17.
Photo of a cave exploration at Chosa Draw ACEC by the Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0).
Other Featured Environmental Actions and Opportunities
Taxpayers Shouldn’t Pay for Corporate Cleanup!
URGENT: Trump Administration Plans to Stick Taxpayers with Oil Company Cleanup Bills. Here’s what’s happening: The Department of Interior is planning to roll back bonding requirements that ensure oil and gas companies pay for their own cleanup when they’re done drilling on public lands.
Why this matters:
- There are already over 10,000 idle wells on our public lands
- Cleanup could cost taxpayers up to $15 billion
- 90% of Westerners believe companies should pay their own cleanup costs
- These wells leak methane and can poison groundwater.
The good news? We can fight back. Join thousands of Americans demanding the administration keep current bonding requirements in place.
Keep it Public, Colorado!
Our public lands need your help, now more than ever. Recent actions include massive funding cuts, incentives for oil and gas development, and hollowing out the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). Stay informed and take action at keepitpublic.co. Photo of Vermillion Basin: Sam Cox-landscape Imagery.
Speak Out Against the Development at Wolf Creek Pass
Help us tell the developers and decision-makers why building a “village” for 10,000 people at Wolf Creek Pass is a bad idea and the wrong choice for our community and state.
Your statement can help us stop the destruction of this incredible natural resource.
Organizations in Colorado Working Towards Equity in the Outdoors
- Adaptive Sports Center – enhancing the quality of life of people with disabilities through exceptional outdoor adventure.
- Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center – providing adaptive sports programs to individuals including adaptive winter ski and snowboard programs at Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper Mountain Ski Resorts, and summer programs on local rivers, lakes, bike paths, and an adaptive ropes course.
- Camping to Connect – uses outdoor recreation and nature immersion to address the diverse issues faced by young men of color in America’s cities—from mental health to healthy masculinity.
- Colorado Blackpackers – providing gear, outdoor excursions, and outdoor education for free or at subsidized costs and connecting participants with volunteer opportunities, internships, jobs, and post-secondary education resources to create a pipeline from outdoor recreation to outdoor industry careers.
- Colorado Gone Hiking – creating an inclusive community that focuses on starting a love of hiking and nature.
- Colorado Treks – breaking barriers to outdoor experiences by providing accessible and enriching adventures in nature for Colorado’s diverse communities, particularly youth and families, fostering a lifelong connection to the healing power of the outdoors.
- Ecoinclusive Strategies – fostering healthy and diverse organizational and community ecosystems that empower individuals from all backgrounds to thrive.
- Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) – reaching out to students who have been traditionally overlooked and under-encouraged in science and science-related careers, most notably, youth of color, LGBTIQA2+, and girls.
- Green Latinos – convening a broad coalition of Latino leaders committed to addressing national, regional, and local environmental, natural resources, and conservation issues that significantly affect the health and welfare of the U.S. Latino community.
- Latino Outdoors Colorado – inspiring, connecting, and engaging Latino communities in the outdoors and embracing cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative, ensuring our history, heritage, and leadership are valued and represented.
- LGBT Outdoors Colorado – getting LGBTQ+ community outdoors, creating safe spaces, and promoting diversity among the outdoor industry.
- Native Womens Wilderness – inspiring and raising the voices of Native women in the outdoor realm to encourage a healthy lifestyle within the wilderness and provide an education of the Ancestral Lands and its people.
- Next 100 Colorado – committed to the establishment of a just and inclusive parks and public lands system.
- Outdoor Asian Colorado – creating a diverse and inclusive community of Asian and Pacific Islands in the outdoors.
- Outdoorist Oath – an action-based commitment to planet, inclusion, and adventure. It offers tools/education for inquiry, a shareable education model, and the hub for a community that cares to build a better future.
- Rising Routes – elevating diverse communities and collaborating with partners to spark public action toward social and environmental resilience.
- Summit for Action – a gathering for thought-provoking discussions and solutions-based recommendations for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Nonprofit Organizations.
- Vibe Tribe Adventures – offering global outdoor recreation and adventure sports opportunities for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and friends.
- Wanderland Outdoors – founded to fill the need in the outdoor space for diversity in faces, an elevated luxury experience, and to help reconnect future clients to the land around them.
- Women’s Wilderness – creating space for girls, women, and nonbinary people of all ages and backgrounds to find their place, their voice, and their power in the outdoors.
In-Person Events
Here are some conservation, stewardship, and advocacy events happening in person. All locations are in Colorado unless indicated otherwise.
- 11/22 – Aurora – Aurora Native Seed Swap. Aurora’s Native Plant Seed Swap is a free community event celebrating the beauty and benefits of native plants! Bring seeds to share or just your curiosity and take home free native seeds for your garden.
- 12/5 – north of New Castle – 2025 Posada & Christmas Tree Cutting. Join Wilderness Workshop for a community day outdoors where we will celebrate a traditional posada and offer free Christmas tree cutting permits provided by Defiende Nuestra Tierra. Enjoy tamales, hot chocolate, and a visit from Smokey Bear.
- 12/9 – Boulder – Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program: Documenting past, present, and future changes in the alpine flora of Boulder County. The Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program, located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Boulder County, is one of the most comprehensive and longest-running alpine monitoring programs in the world. In this talk, Nancy Emery, Associate Professor at CU, will describe the history of this program, present long-term trends in the local alpine flora that have been documented at the site and share results from experiments that have measured plant responses to global change drivers.
Virtual Events
- Weekly Series American Trails Advancing Trails Webinar Series. American Trails brings agencies, trail builders, planners, architects, advocates, and volunteers the latest in state-of-the-art information on all aspects of trails and greenways usually applicable to all trail types, with expert presenters.
- 11/23 – City and County of Denver GIS Day Virtual Event. The City and County of Denver’s GIS Day Program is a free event, open to the public, and does not require registration. This year’s event will focus on GIS use at the City and County of Denver and real-world applications by various city agencies and departments, including its use for safety, public health, climate action, and natural resource management. The event will showcase a wide range of GIS products, tools, and applications from the city’s GIS community. The format will be a moderated lightning talk with Q&A for each speaker. Learn more about GIS Day and find other events here.
- 12/8 – Naturalist Chat, A Bird Q&A. Join Audubon Rockies for this monthly event. Whether you’re curious about feeding birds, their behaviors, population changes, or need help with an ID, we’ve got you covered! Join us for Naturalist Chat: A Bird Q&A, where our community science coordinator and bird expert, Zach Hutchinson, will answer your questions live on Zoom.
Community Science Projects
Colorado Pika Patrol
The Colorado Pika Project is a research project implemented by community scientists across Colorado. Through long-term monitoring of pika populations, we are not only providing useful data to researchers and land managers, but we are doing so in a way that educates and engages Coloradans in conservation and the local impacts of climate change.
Pika Patrol App
Can’t commit to the Colorado Pika Patrol project? The Pika Patrol App allows you to record observations of American pikas wherever you find them!
Colorado Corridors Project
Colorado Corridors Project remote-triggered cameras collect tens of thousands of photos each year in an attempt to make a case for building an overpass for wildlife along the I-70 mountain corridor. Because of this overwhelming data, they need help identifying the wildlife you see in these photos. With your help, they can process and analyze the data much faster than if they did it on their own.
Colorado Bat Watch
Colorado Bat Watch was developed by Rocky Mountain Wild in collaboration with bat experts from the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and the North American Bat Monitoring Program. This program recruits and engages community scientists to collect data that will enable these agencies to monitor bat species over time and better understand the impacts of white-nose syndrome and other threats on local bat populations.
Go Big! Central Colorado Bighorn Sheep Survey
The Central Colorado Bighorn Sheep Survey engages the community in recording observations of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, domestic sheep, and domestic goats in Central Colorado. The data collected by volunteers participating in the project will inform conservation strategies for Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in Central Colorado.
Join Denver Zoo’s Boreal Toad Conservation Team
In the summer months, volunteer community scientists on the Boreal Toad Conservation Team help us to search the mountain wetlands of Colorado for this hard-to-find amphibian. The data us and our volunteers gather in this projects informs CPW’s management of boreal toads, identifies future sites for wild reintroduction, and uncovers unknown populations (and we hope even ‘super-toads’ that may have natural resistance to chytrid fungus).
Join Audubon as a Climate Watch community scientist
Explore how North American birds are responding to climate change. This innovative community-science program enlists volunteer birders across North America to count certain bluebirds and nuthatches in the same place (or places) twice each year. By sticking to a scientific protocol and sharing their results, these community scientists help track whether birds are moving in accordance with projections from Audubon’s climate models.
Join Bumble Bee Watch
Volunteers needed to submit photos or videos of bumble bee nest sightings. The bumble bee nest sighting can come from anywhere within North America. An ideal sighting would include an image of the bumble bee (to determine the species), a GPS location (to be used in future habitat analyses), a description of the location and materials of the nest (i.e. in my garden, underground or in a woodpile), and, if possible, a video of the nest, surroundings, and activity.
Jobs, Internships, and Fellowships
Here are some job and internship openings in the environmental field: (For equity reasons, we only post job postings with transparent salary ranges). Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act went into effect on January 1, 2021 and requires that pay rates or ranges in job postings that will be or could be done in Colorado (including remote work) be posted. Colorado’s minimum wage is currently (2025) $14.81. The City of Denver’s minimum wage is $18.81. Colorado’s minimum salary for exempt workers is $56,485.
Positions are in Colorado or remote opportunities unless otherwise stated.
A huge thank you to Ms. Platt’s elementary school students who learned of this webpage and wanted to provide this resource on green careers to all our job seekers! Check out: “Guide to Green Careers.”
Job List Sites to Check
- Alliance for Collective Action Green Jobs Board
- Conservation Job Board
- EcoJobs
- EnvironmentalCareer
- Impact Jobs Hub
- Green Jobs Network
- Work for Good
Other Job Postings (Jobs that are new this week are highlighted in green)
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife is seeking a Deputy Assistant Director of Partnerships. The position exists to provide oversight and leadership assistance for the Outdoor Recreation and Lands (RLAD) Branch in conjunction with the Assistant Director (AD) of RLAD. The Deputy Assistant Director of Partnerships is responsible and accountable for overall direction, integration and execution of the CPW’s statewide partnership initiatives. Salary $105,720 – $137,436. Closing date: 11/25/2025. Other jobs at the State of Colorado here.
- Protect Our Winters (POW) is seeking a Climate Policy & Advocacy Sr. Manager. The Climate Policy & Advocacy Sr. Manager will help lead efforts in addressing the climate crisis by working on legislative and policy initiatives. As part of that work, the Climate Policy & Advocacy Sr. Manager will help to mobilize Protect Our Winters’ athletes, creatives, scientists, brands, and partners on policy, legislative, and high-impact and/or opportunistic campaigns. They will lead policy analysis, advocacy writing, and both direct and grassroots lobbying efforts, and campaigns — primarily focused on federal climate and energy policy, with potential to expand to state legislatures over time. Salary range $85,000 – $95,000. Application Deadline: November 30, 2025.
- Sierra Club, Colorado Chapter, is seeking a Communications Coordinator. The Communications Associate will help support the Colorado Sierra Club’s efforts to communicate with our base, volunteers, the general public, and donors about our priorities of advancing climate justice, protecting the places that make our state special, and defending clean air and water. The salary range for this position is $70,000 annually. Applications will be accepted through December 1, 2025.
- Conservation Colorado is seeking a Legislative Director. The Legislative Director will develop and lead the organization’s legislative strategies to leverage our power with decision makers at the capitol and in the regulatory agencies in order to win on their campaigns. The salary range for this full-time role is $105,000 – $120,000. Deadline for submission: Dec 10, 2025. Other job postings at Conservation Colorado here.
- The Nature Conservancy is seeking a Wyoming Associate Director of Development I. The Associate Director of Development I is responsible for building a portfolio of qualified donors and developing relationships. The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $89,000 – $110,000. Other job postings at The Nature Conservancy here.
- Audubon is seeking an Associate, Communications – Working Lands. The Communications Associate, Working Lands, will support the communications, storytelling, and promotional efforts of the Working Lands programs which includes the Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) program. Compensation: $27.00 – $29.00 / hour (higher in specific locations). Other job postings at Audubon here.
- The High Mountain Institute (HMI) is seeking an Advancement Associate. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Advancement Associate is charged with overseeing and expanding the scope of alumni relations at HMI while supporting fundraising, external communications, and admissions at the school. $40,000-$45,000 annual Total Compensation (inclusive of on-campus housing or, when housing is unavailable, a housing stipend). HMI will begin the initial review of applications on November 12, 2025, and will continue reviewing applications until the position is filled. HMI encourages you to apply even after this initial review date has passed.
- Wilderness Workshop is seeking an Outdoor Programs Coordinator. In support of Wilderness Workshop’s mission to protect public lands, the Outdoor Programs Coordinator manages Wilderness Workshop’s field based programs to advance our public land conservation goals. This position is part time (approximately 0.4 FTE on an annual basis, with a heavier workload in summer) and does not include benefits. Compensation: $29 – $35 per hour. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis on a rolling basis through November 28, 2025.
- Biohabitats is seeking a Geospatial Analyst. Biohabitats works with public, private, and not-for-profit clients to restore and regenerate life-supporting ecological processes and create a world of abundant biodiversity, climate resilience, environmental justice, and clean water. The Geospatial Analyst will be responsible for data collection, data management, map creation, and spatial analyses for a wide variety of project types and scales including watershed and ecological assessments, wetland delineation, restoration planning, climate resiliency, federal/state environmental permitting, and integrated water strategies. Salary Range: $70,000 – $80,000. Other job openings at Biohabitats here.
Take Action with Partner Organizations
Follow the links below to find actions sponsored by these organizations to protect wildlife and wild lands:
- Animal Legal Defense Fund: The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system
- Audubon: Audubon protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow.
- Center for Biological Diversity: Center for Biological Diversity works to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction.
- Earthjustice: Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit public interest environmental law organization.
- Food & Water Watch: Food & Water Watch fights for sustainable food, clean water, and a livable climate for all of us.
- League for Conservation Voters: The League of Conservation Voters builds political power to protect people and the planet – because our Earth is worth fighting for.
- National Parks Conservation Association: National Parks Conservation Association is the voice of America’s national parks, working to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for present and future generations.
- National Wildlife Federation: The mission of National Wildlife Federation is uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife and people thrive in a rapidly changing world. The National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, an affiliated but separate entity works to raise the visibility of key conservation issues with voters and elected officials.
- The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.
- REI: At REI, we believe that a life outdoors is a life well lived.
- Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance: The mission of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans.
- Union of Concerned Scientists: The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science into action, developing solutions and advocating for a healthy, safe, and just future.
- The Wilderness Society The mission of The Wilderness Society is uniting people to protect America’s wild places
Local (Denver) Environmental Fight Led by Indigenous Community
- SunCor Energy, a Canadian-run company, runs an oil refinery north of Denver, Colorado. Suncor is Colorado’s only oil refinery and one of our largest emitters of greenhouse gasses and toxic air pollutants, and has been operating without any changes to its procedures or pollution controls for years. In spite of numerous enforcement actions and settlements, Suncor continues to flout air quality laws, putting neighboring communities — who are primarily BIPOC and low income — at extreme risk. Suncor has no regard for human or non-human life and will continue to harm our communities if action is not taken. Please take a moment to watch Spirit of the Sun’s short film on Suncor’s impact on Colorado’s Indigenous communities or scroll to the bottom of the page to send a form-letter to Governor Polis, Colorado Dept. of Health and Environment, and the EPA asking them to shut down Suncor for good: https://www.suncorsundown.org
- Donate to Spirit of the Sun’s efforts to combat Suncor’s harmful impacts through their Mycelium Program which trains their community members to inoculate the soil in their communities and throughout Native land with networks of mycelium to restore the health of our soil systems. When we cannot depend on the systems in power to create change, we educate ourselves and our community to protect the systems we hold dear: https://www.spiritofthesun.org/mycelium-healing-project-1
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