Written by CI Instructor Carly Winner.

Cobbled Streets and Cottonwood Institute had a fantastic second week this summer at SWIC and Garfield Lake Park. The group enjoyed many games, challenges, and learning nature skills, including a fly fishing day to round out the week. 

Each day started at SWIC where the group had to successfully work together to complete challenges created by the instructors. The students learned throughout the week how to better communicate with each other by listening, taking turns, and trying new ideas. After the morning, the group would load up the wagon and walk over to Garfield Lake Park, which gave us a new adventure every day. The group looked for macroinvertebrates and fish at different times each day; found a goose egg; learned how to build and safely maintain a fire; talked about predator/prey relationships; and more. Throughout the week, the group decided their favorite activity was the predator/prey bird and bug game that involved picking up pasta! 

There was much anticipation for our field day at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Lake Lehow near Chatfield State Park. Our instructor Eeland taught the group to fly fish! Eeland began by talking about the different types of animals we could find in the lake. These animals included bass, trout, catfish, turtles, different types of bugs, and more. Eeland taught the group about the parts of the fly fishing pole and how to set the poles up. Before going to the lake, we practiced casting our rods and learned how to safely cast with others around. We practiced with string “flies” in order to get the hang of it. Once everyone felt comfortable, it was time to head to the lake. The group spread out and began casting in hopes of catching a fish. It took a lot of patience, but the group began to get a hang of how to cast and how to trick the fish into thinking their inanimate fly was a real bug. And eventually, each student was able to catch a fish! It was a wonderful morning where each student was able to explore the water in a way we hadn’t before. We learned a lot about fly fishing, aquatic animals, and patience. 

In the afternoon, the group learned about building shelters that can withstand the elements of nature including weight, water, and wind. We practiced by building mini shelters and learned that insulation is necessary in order to protect from the natural elements. It was a quick day and before we knew it, it was time to head back to SWIC to close up our program. We took time to reflect on the program and our favorite parts. For many students, it was clear that the highlight was our field day at the lake catching fish under blue skies.

Thank you Cobbled Streets for an exciting week and a special thanks to our amazing instructor Eeland for providing the group with the proper fishing equipment and skills necessary to make their week!