It’s been nearly a week since the Cottonwood Institute’s tournament of epic proportions – the Cornhole Throwdown (a.k.a. The Throwdown). For many players, the adrenaline, sparked from the competition and fueled by prizes and bragging rights, still pumps through their veins. On August 24, 2013 over 150 participants and spectators showed up, including 63 registered… Read more »
The Cottonwood Institute had an amazing opportunity to work with Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC) during a four day program. Led by Cottonwood Institute instructors Deb and Jessi, the program began with two day hikes and culminated in an overnight backpacking trip at White Ranch Open Space Park outside of Golden, Colorado. Colorado Youth… Read more »
We hope everyone has been having an extraordinary summer! We have been busy this year and wanted to send out a quick mid-year update about what we have been up to, our impact so far this year, and a few projects we have been working on. Impact. So far this year, we have been able… Read more »
On a sunny morning in July, the Learning Garden at New Vista High School pulled Cottonwood Institute staff away from their computers and dove into the soil. Cottonwood Institute staff, donors, students, and friends volunteered their morning to work side by side to pull weeds, harvest food, and plant root veggies. They harvested heaps of healthy… Read more »
Epic. Noble. Empowering. Bragging Rights. Smiles. Koozies. What’s that? The Cornhole Throwdown? Yes, folks. The 4th annual Cornhole Throwdown is coming up this August 24th at Congress Park in Denver. The Throwdown is an annual event for people who want to enjoy a delightful Saturday afternoon in the park playing some Cornhole with friends, while supporting… Read more »
In late June, several families and individuals from Casa de la Esperanza joined the Cottonwood Institute on an overnight adventure to Cal-Wood in Jamestown, CO. This family overnight trip was preceded by Cottonwood’s work with Casa de la Esperanza youth in the mini-CAP program this spring. This weekend together was a great opportunity for students… Read more »
Colorado Academy Upper School joined Cottonwood Institute for a week at Mission:Wolf this spring. This unique and unassuming space in the wilds of Southern Colorado houses around 40 wolves and educates the public on wolf behavior, habitat, and the ongoing needs for management of these amazing creatures in the wild. Their mission to inspire “individuals… Read more »
Colorado Academy Primitive Skills Course at Earth Knack was a huge hit. One of the Cottonwood Institute instructors, Clark Patton, lived in a tipi at Earth Knack for nearly a year. Here are his thoughts about the Primitive Skills trip: “Earth Knack is located in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, the largest alpine meadow… Read more »
Colorado Academy (CA) and Cottonwood Institute teamed up to provide a Wildland Firefighting course for the middle school interim trips. The Wildland Firefighting course took place at the base of Mt. Shavano peak near Salida, CO. The group stayed at Angel of Shavano Campground and spent time at the Colorado Firecamp learning about fire mitigation… Read more »
Connections with people, animals, and nature once again brought Cottonwood Institute and Mission: Wolf (M:W) together. During the month of May, Cottonwood Institute delivered two incredible courses for Littleton Academy, serving nearly 50 students. M:W is located near the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountain range just outside of Westcliffe, Colorado. It is a wolf sanctuary… Read more »
