Meet Natalie Uschner-Arroyo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Uschner-Arroyo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, what do you attribute your success to?
Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch is a community science project led by Denver Field Ornithologists dedicated to monitoring migrating raptors (birds of prey) as they head north to their breeding grounds in the spring each year. The Hawk Watch site is located atop Dakota Ridge between Morrison and Golden, Colorado, and offers a prime vantage point for migration monitoring. Thermal lift generated along the ridge allows these birds of prey to efficiently soar along the Front Range foothills (a sort of “raptor superhighway”).

Each spring, our volunteers gain hands-on experience in raptor identification through the leadership of experienced professional counters, while contributing to meaningful research—a true win for both science and community.
Not only is the goal of the project to produce high-quality, long-term migration data for research and conservation, but also to educate the public and inspire the next generation of conservationists—including local schoolchildren.

Our dedicated volunteers are truly the main reason for the long-term success of this valuable community science project!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
All of Denver Field Ornithologists’ projects, including Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch, are led by dedicated all-volunteer committees. Each Hawk Watch Committee member contributes their time and a wide range of skills and talents including project management and organization, fundraising, volunteer coordination and recruitment to field trip development, social media, photography, and more! The Hawk Watch Committee manages approximately ninety volunteers alongside four professional raptor counters/observers. The entire team participates in shifts throughout the Hawk Watch season from March 1 through mid-May to provide consistent coverage and collect accurate data. The committee works hard to ensure an meaningful experience, connecting both participants and visitors with nature, raptors, and each other.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since birding is our focus, I would kick things off with a visit to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, an amazing year-round birding hotspot with fantastic views of the Rockies, and fun sightings of the local bison herd. Next we’d head over to New Terrain Brewing Company in Golden, CO for a little refreshment, food trucks, and music. This brewery is a perfect post-birding hangout with nearby hiking and biking opportunities on Table Mountain! And of course, I’d book a field trip with Denver Field Ornithologists for me and my guest to sharpen our bird identification skills while discovering a new corner of Colorado with a local experienced field trip leader.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch not only thrives thanks to its dedicated and engaged volunteer community, but it also relies on a strong network of partners and supporters, including Hawk Migration Association, Denver Audubon, Jefferson County Open Space, Colorado Field Ornithologists, Nature’s Educators, Evergreen Audubon, as well as Wild Birds Unlimited and Front Range Birding. This multi-organizational support and collaboration brings together crucial funding, organizational capacity, scientific rigor—all central to running consistent long-term community science research.

Website: https://www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org

Instagram: @dinoridgehawkwatch

Facebook: @dinoridgehawkwatch

Other: www.dfobirds.org, https://coloradobirdingtrail.com/trail/red-rocks/

Image Credits
Natalie Uschner-Arroyo