Centaurus High School students explore questions about fire and visit a wildland fire station on their overnight. Written by Field Instructor Jarrod Gaut. Becalmed atop a hill, the group surveys a wide and snowy vista. The wind whispers hello as it heralds a frosty moisture. Clouds marshal themselves above snowy peaks and hurry towards the… Read more »
Colorado environmental education nonprofit Cottonwood Institute hosted its spring benefit, the Base Camp Bash, in April. Thank you to all of our attendees and sponsors! Check out photos from the 2023 Base Camp Bash Here. The 2023 Base Camp Bash was fire and we are still glowing from an amazing evening to support Cottonwood Institute,… Read more »
Changemakers spend their spring overnight exploring the environmental impacts of fashion and screenprinting their own t-shirts. Written by Instructor Chelsea Tossing. Escrito en español más abajo. Cheap t-shirts may seem like a steal, but do you know what your clothes really cost? Changemakers set out on our spring overnight trip to learn more about the… Read more »
It’s spring in the Front Range! The grass is green, the birds are singing, there’s snow in the mountains…wait, there’s still snow in the mountains?!? If you’re craving some warm sunshine before the high country has melted out, check out these trails close to home for some of the best spring hikes near Denver. The… Read more »
Written by Field Instructor Ruthie Cartwright. Hands and feet hit the rock wall before names had even been exchanged. Rock climbing, a sport which can often intimidate even the most versatile athletes, was clearly a welcome new adventure to the youth from the Sims-Fayola Foundation. Bodies were flying up the wall, and even clinging to… Read more »
AXL Academy students build a quinzhee and roll down hills in the snow on their winter overnight at Calwood. Written by Field Instructor Jarrod Gaut. Escrito en español más abajo. How do you move a ping pong ball into a bucket twenty feet away without touching it? You scoop it in your shoe! This… Read more »
Cottonwood Instructors Jessie and Ruthie joined Boulder County for a Lefthand Outdoor Challenge winter skills day at Caribou Ranch. Written by Ruthie Cartwright. We’ll invite you into the same scene that we offered the Lefthand Outdoor Challenge students on Saturday: imagine that we just sat down to take a break after a long snowshoe hike…. Read more »
It’s time to build a quinzhee! Written by Field Instructor Jarrod Gaut. Escrito en español más abajo. The marvelous CAP class at Centaurus High were ready; they donned their snowshoes and trudged out to Caribou Ranch lugging their snow shovels. Complete professionals, and hard set to their task, they piled up snow as tall as… Read more »
AXL students learn archery, practice animal tracking, and enjoy the snow on their recent field day at Barr Lake. Written by Field Instructor Piper Triggs. Escrito en español más abajo. The setting: Barr Lake State Park, on a classically cold and sunny Colorado day, with fresh snow thick on the ground. The mission: learning animal… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute is thrilled to introduce our new Youth Mental Health Advisor, Whitney Thompson. As Cottonwood grows, we increasingly realize the importance of having a robust mental health support system for our students as well as excellent training programs for instructors heading into the field. Whitney will be a resource for Cottonwood to better serve… Read more »
