My Nonprofit Reviews

The Audubon Society of Greater Denver (ASGD) is a non-profit with a three part mission. First comes education; second, research; and third, commitment to the environment. Since 1965 ASGD has worked with schools in the metro area, provided field trips to schools and others, sponsored adult classes and field trips, and made grants to research projects. I have been active for many years with ASGD, but one day forever sticks in my memory. In the spring, a busload of about 50 inner-city kids arrived for a day at the nature center. I was one of five volunteers to meet the bus and lead a group of 10 students. They were mostly Latinos, some speaking little English but others were quick to translate for them. We hiked to the bird banding station down near the river, where mist nets were set up and a professional ornithologist explained her work and everyone got to see birds up close. After lunch back at the center, our afternoon was filled with discoveries of the many creatures living in a nearby marsh. On a wooden boardwalk we mucked up crawdads and minnows with long-handled nets. We observed frogs, turtles, and even a heron. Our worksheets to record our findings got wet, pencils got lost, and everyone was sad when we had to leave the water behind. It was time to go. As the kids lined up to get on the bus, one small boy ran over to me, put his arms around my waist and looked up with his big brown eyes and said, "This has been the best day of my life."