Dana was one of the very first students to register for the Cottonwood Institute’s core educational program called the Community Adventure Program at New Vista High School when the program first launched during the 2003 – 2004 school year. Q: What are you up to these days? A: Well I’m a recent graduate from the… Read more »
Posts By: Ford Church
NPR Contributor Recommends Survival Books
If you didn’t catch it, NPR had a report called Stranded? Three Books To Save Your Life on All Things Considered. Jake Halpern found himself deep in the backcountry of New Zealand with his wife on their honeymoon. When another family accidentally ate all of their food while they were on a day hike, they… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute Wraps up a Phenomenal Summer!
As the leaves start to change color and kids return to school, it is time to reflect on an amazing summer and all the happenings here at Cottonwood. We kicked the summer off with a couple of weekend adult survival clinics, where our brave attendees not only built a survival shelter, but actually slept in… Read more »
Volunteers Give Back On Mt. Evans
Under the intense blue of the mountain sky atop Mt. Evans, Cottonwood Institute and Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) teamed up to give back to the mountains we love so much. Our volunteers worked hard for two days, completing much needed trail maintenance and ecological restoration projects next to the glistening waters of Summit Lake. They… Read more »
A Romp with the Wolves
There is just something about wolves that makes them unforgettable, especially when you get right up close and personal with these amazing animals. On July 18-24, 2009, the Cottonwood Institute took eight brave students out on their Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking Project. Not only did they pet the wolves, but they came right up… Read more »
Fall Staff Training
Surrounded by the beauty of Echo Lake and Mt. Evans, the staff of Cottonwood Institute came together for an amazing staff training session. Ford Church, the Founder and Executive Director, walked us through a variety of survival scenarios and taught us skills to last a lifetime. We teamed up to build survival shelters and started… Read more »
Alumni Snapshot: Jeremy Bacon
Jeremy took the Wildland Firefighter Project from the Cottonwood Institute a few years ago. Since then, Jeremy volunteered with Americorps where he was sent to City Year Boston to work at an inner city elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts. Jeremy acted as events coordinator for in school programs and helped run their after school programs as… Read more »
Stone Age Survival Students Get Primitive
Early this July, eight lucky participants got in touch with their primal instincts in the Cottonwood Institute’s Stone Age Survival Course. Yes, this is how we used to thrive and survive back in the day before cell phones and electricity. Before all of our modern comforts this is how humans survived. But these skills are… Read more »
CAP Pre-Course Survey, 1st Quarter 2009
Welcome to the Community Adventure Program. Before we get started, we need to get some feedback about your outdoor experience, your thoughts about the environment, your community, etc. Please answer this survey honestly and to the best of your ability. The good folks who fund this class use this information to assess the performance of… Read more »
Free Survival Clinic At REI Denver Flagship Store
Most survival situations happen when you least expect it and when you are least prepared. Before you head to the hills this fall to explore the color change or the bugling elk, join the Cottonwood Institute for a Free Survival Clinic at REI. Participate in an interactive survival scenario, learn about survival priorities, tips, strategies,… Read more »
