Looking back on the impact of our past school year of programming at Cottonwood Institute (August 2023-July 2024), we are overwhelmed by the life-changing experiences that were created for over 530 students. Across 12 Program Partners, 29 Programs were delivered where Instructors and students learned how to navigate the challenges of pushing themselves out of… Read more »
What can make a day spent playing golf at the Harvard Gulch Golf Invitational, surrounded by friends, raising money for a good cause more fun? Why, adding costumes, croquet mallets, hockey sticks, and prizes of course! This year’s Harvard Gulch Golf Invitational to benefit Cottonwood Institute was a fantastic success! Collectively we raised over $12,000… Read more »
On Saturday July 13th, 2024, 30 teams gathered downtown at McGregor Square to participate in Denver’s favorite Charity Cornhole Tournament, The Throwdown! With proceeds from the tournament going to supporting Cottonwood Institute’s CAP Class at AXL Academy in Aurora, the tournament gives teams a highlight their cornhole prowess, win epic prizes, and participate in an… Read more »
Get to know Melissa Georgi (she/her), who is our CAP Instructor at Angevine Middle School! Melissa is an outdoor educator, trip guide, forager, and former Park Ranger. Learn more about Melissa below, and read our other staff and board profiles here! What led you to become an environmental educator? “Standing on a mountain top overlooking… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute (CI) has been so grateful for our amazing partnership with Casa de la Esperanza (Casa) in Longmont, CO, for the past 13 years! This year, we decided to kick our collaboration up a notch by co-creating the Familias Unidas en la Naturaleza (FUN) Program, a new program to inspire youth and their… Read more »
In a nutshell, 2024’s Base Camp Bash did not fall short of its theme as a “A Night of Wild Wonder.” On the evening of March 2nd, as attendees entered Upper Larimer event space in RiNo, they were greeted with a variety of sensory experiences: the scent of hundreds of fresh cut flowers, the sound… Read more »
Written by Senior Cottonwood Field Instructor, Amy Kopkin Atkins Thermoregulation, the process of staying warm when it’s cold outside, may sound complex, but it’s definitely not rocket science… It’s more like biology. Outside Heat Source The “go to” way to stay warm in winter is an outside (meaning out of the body) heat source. Things… Read more »
Written by Senior Cottonwood Field Instructor, Amy Kopkin Atkins It is both intuitive and well known that spending time outdoors is a healthy anecdote to the mental and physical health issues that arise when one spends too much time on a screen. It’s another thing to see it in action. As Cottonwood CAP and… Read more »
Written By Cottonwood Field Instructor, Caroline Paul What is nature if not unpredictable? Mother Nature has a mind of her own, so outdoor education instructors must always be flexible and prepared to pivot. Well, Centaurus High School’s Spring 2024 Community Adventure Program (CAP) had to pivot hard for their final Spring campout and action project…. Read more »
