Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Wins Regional National Park Service Excellence in Volunteerism Award

In 2024, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory celebrates four decades of volunteer-powered raptor monitoring. Since 1984, it has stood as the largest volunteer program in the park, engaging over 2,000 volunteers.

© Michael Voeltz

June 2024 - Congratulations to the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, a 2023 recipient of the National Park Service’s coveted “Excellence in Volunteerism” award for the Pacific West Region, in the category of “Innovation." From the NPS, “this award recognizes a volunteer initiative within a park or program that has demonstrated significant innovation or creativity in meeting a park/program goal or need through volunteerism.”

The Observatory is a cornerstone community science program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in cooperation with Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 2024, the program celebrates four decades of volunteer-powered raptor monitoring. Since 1984, it has stood as the largest volunteer program in the park, engaging over 2,000 volunteers. Each volunteer contributes 80 to 100 hours annually to vital biological fieldwork. They play pivotal roles in conducting daily counts and staffing banding stations to trap and tag raptors. This program provides invaluable support to the park's wildlife biologists and the wider scientific community. It showcases the innovative work of volunteers as community scientists to generate an impressive data set. It is work that requires training, mentorship, and relationship-building; adaptability, creativity, and continual evaluation; and working to create a safe and welcoming environment for volunteers to learn and contribute.

For more information

Read more about the award’s significance and the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory’s work.

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