It’s been a great summer of events with Casa de la Esperanza. From hiking and rattlesnakes to games and camping, starry skies and watermelon on the playground we learned and played a lot with the Casa Community this summer!

We started it off with a group gathering to plan and discuss the community’s needs for the two outings this summer. Our day hike in June was a fun trip to South Mesa Trail Head in Boulder. We involved several parents along with a great group of students from the Casa de la Esperanza community.

Then in July many of the same students joined us again for an overnight camping trip up at Cal-Wood Education Center. The group had a great time learning low impact camping techniques, playing a few games of camouflage, and exploring the area, including a side trip to Heil Valley Ranch to get in a little extra hiking and check out a new spot.  They especially enjoyed spending time laying on the ground watching the night sky unfold above them.

Back at Casa de la Esperanza in Longmont we wrapped up the Summer Nature Series with a picnic of BBQ and everyone’s’ summer favorite; watermelon. The kids enjoyed the “feast” while a few parents and staff chatted about the outings and what we could do next with the community and their growing young population. Cottonwood Institute looks forward to hosting more events and getting more students from Casa de la Esperanza out into the woods and the wild.

Many thanks to our partners at Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, Cal-Wood Education Center, our wonderful instructors, donors, and foundation supporters including Brett Family Foundation and Community Foundation Serving Boulder County for making this project possible!