The sun peaked in on the Cottonwood Institute instructors as they trekked up the steepest part of the hike to Francie’s Cabin, near Breckenridge, CO. Within minutes the temperature change took them from cold to sweating, shedding their early morning layers. A short time later they broke into a clearing just below the hut, revealing… Read more »
Posts By: Madeline Bachner
Exploration and Transformation for STRIVE-Prep Students
Just a few weeks ago, students from STRIVE Preparatory Schools – Lake Campus embarked on a great adventure up to the mountains to the Cal-Wood Education Center. Some students had never been camping before and all were very excited. The overnight trip was facilitated by the wonderful Kristin Maharg and Megan Fettig, as part of… Read more »
Turkeys, Jays and Camo, oh my! Casa de la Esperanza Goes for a Hike
Early in November, Longmont youth from Casa de la Esperanza enjoyed a balmy autumn day in the foothills as part of Cottonwood Institute’s Mini CAP. The Mini CAP is a six session environmental service-learning program that encourages students to get engaged with local environmental issues on a personal and community level. As part of the program, students develop their critical thinking and… Read more »
Music Survival Project: Inspiration from the Woods!
Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC), a dropout prevention program in Denver and Boulder County, participated in a unique Cottonwood Institute program called the Music Survival Project in October 2012. In addition to practicing essential camping and survival skills, students explored music in nature, slam poetry with The Slam Movement, and how to find their own wild… Read more »
The Buzz from CAP this Quarter!
This past quarter of CAP, the class has learned many interesting things. They learned about bees, pollinators, survival skills, and tips on camping. One of the main things CAP focused on was colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is the disappearance of worker honey bees. Another is wilderness survival skills, which is teaching the class how… Read more »
Earth Task Force Digs into the New Vista Garden Project!
On September 19th, 2012, the Earth Task Force started the beginning of something amazing. Students collaborated with The Kitchen Community to bring a brand new garden to the front of New Vista High School! Being one of the first high schools to receive one of these Learning Gardens from The Kitchen Community, it was a… Read more »
A New Class Experiences the Community Adventure Program
Liz Schweber, a senior at New Vista High School reflects on her experience in C.A.P. so far this quarter: “The Community Adventure Program is an amazing class that is offered at New Vista in conjunction with the Cottonwood Institute. It is such a fulfilling opportunity that I decided to take it for a second time…. Read more »
Overnights and Action with CAP
CAP students were quite busy this quarter. Before their first overnight they learned about camp setup, packing their bags, proper camp nutrition, and basic outdoor overnight essentials. Most of them already had a great deal of camping experience for high schoolers. Or so they said, as they arrived for the overnight with overstuffed backpacks –… Read more »
Wings and Wilds and Wind!
Logan School 3rd graders had quite an adventure with the Cottonwood Institute last month. On May 9th a group of 18 eager students, 3 remarkable teachers and 2 able bodied Cottonwood Institute instructors embarked on an epic road trip. It took them throughout the wilds in and around Denver and up to the windy prairie… Read more »
CAP Explores The Impact of Population Growth
This quarter CAP students at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO explored the environmental impact of population growth. They researched how overpopulation is affecting Boulder County and came across the following topics: Open Space and Mountain Parks trail usage, food production, water use and treatment facilities, waste management, family planning and population density. The… Read more »
