EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum formed a new partnership with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) and the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University to support the 2026 Statewide Natural Heritage Survey.

With Mesa County designated as a primary focus area for the upcoming year, local residents have an opportunity to contribute to vital conservation research as community scientists.

“We are excited to help bring this science to our back yard,” EUREKA! Environmental Institute Director Erika Williams said. “By training community members to become ‘rare plant geocachers,’ we aren’t just teaching botany, we are empowering citizens to provide the data necessary to protect Mesa County’s unique landscapes for generations to come.”

Trainings for this survey in Mesa County are made possible in part by a grant awarded to the Colorado National Monument Association and EUREKA! by Western Slope Outdoor Volunteer. This funding will support community trainings designed to engage the public in the hunt for Colorado’s rarest botanical treasures.

Members of the public are invited to a Rare Plant Survey Information Session on April 29, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., to learn about the survey and the role of volunteer geocachers. It will take place at the Confluence Center, 2596 Dos Rios Drive in Grand Junction.

Following the info session, community members can participate in two primary ways:

1. Become a certified CNHP volunteer by attending a comprehensive, three-hour training session May 15 or May 16, followed by a “mock” field trip at the Confluence Center. Participants must bring a laptop or tablet.
2. Join a guided field trip for those who prefer a more hands-on approach without the full certification. Community members can join certified CNHP volunteers on scheduled field trips to help hunt for rare plants in the wild.

All of these events are free. Drinks and snacks are provided.