The local fire ban didn’t stop this crew of weekend wilderness warriors from igniting a passion for the outdoors. Cottonwood Institute instructors, Darren Silver, Jason Lawrence, and Aleyna Porreca delivered an action-packed course for children and parents of military families through a collaboration with Operation Military Kids and Colorado Lions Camp.

A fine mix of fun and skills set the platinum standard for this course as we filled our days with survival priorities, shelter-building, stalking, sit-spotting,  service, stewardship, and some tasty grub, including a rare treat of fresh venison!

“I think it was a huge success and should be offered again for military kids. I also asked all the kids what they thought and they all loved it,” commented an Operation Military Kids chaperone who joined us for the first ever OMK Essential Survival Skills course. “I wish it was longer,” said 10 year-old Little John accompanied by military dad, Big John. “Do you offer this for adults?” questioned two enthusiastic parents…

While we quoted General George C. Marshall before dinner Saturday evening: “There’s no limit to the good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit,” we’d like to thank all of the generous sponsors and courageous participants for making tracks with us! Specifically, we would like to thank Operation Military Kids, Colorado Lions Camp, The Kenneth King Foundation, Canvas and Cocktails, and the overwhelming support we received from our donors who made this project possible.

This article was written by Jason Lawrence and edited by Ford Church.