“Growing Team” Raises $2,645 Through Mustache 4 Cash

After sporting a mustache for the month of October and enduring heckling from friends, family, co-workers, and strangers a like, the Cottonwood Institute “Growing Team” successfully raised $2,645 through a unique fundraiser in Denver called Mustache 4 Cash. A very special thanks goes out to Chris Zook, Nate Bankirer, Ryan Bovard-Johns, and April Pishna for participating.

The money we raised from this campaign will be used to support programs at Gilpin Montessori E-8 School in Denver. Gilpin is an inner city school serving at risk students and many of these students see the mountains every day, but do not have the opportunity to explore the outdoors.

Check out the following video to help re-live the magic:

What Students Have to Say… About CAP 1st Quarter 2009

“Very rarely have I taken a class that I look forward to during the school day. This quarter I had a class like that, it was CAP. ” ~Ollie Hewat

“This quarter CAP class has been outstanding. It is the only class in which I know everyone’s names and the only class I look forward to going to. CAP has allowed me to get to know people in ways that don’t happen easily in a classroom. I learned so much in an environment that I loved. I still feel like I did something big with the class working on GMO awareness. Telling an entire community about the stuff we learned on GMOs was the best thing that has happened all year.” ~Emily Morrison

“Everyday, after seminar, I felt like the bad part of my day was over and the real day was just beginning. I loved walking into CAP and seeing everyone’s happy and anticipating faces…I plan to take this knowledge and apply it wherever I go from the simple concepts like the 5 W’s to our large action project.” ~Sean Shriver-Karlson

“Where to begin? This class has made such a positive impact on my life, it is so hard to describe. It has not just changed my life it has taken me on a six-week journey…Everything ranging from the overnight prep to the Action Project week made me full of glee and excitement everyday. It has certainly been the best class I have taken. I learned more in this class than I have in my three years of high school. The purpose of this paper reads, “To reflect on your entire experience with the Community Adventure Program.” I know I won’t be able to fit my love for this class into five pages of writing.” ~Aaron Fox

“The more you do to help the world, the more powerful you feel, the less helpless… At the start of the quarter I was skeptical… I was sure I couldn’t learn anything new about the environmental problems of the world. When we began looking at issues I was close-minded and righteous. When we debated issues I had a strong “I am right and you are wrong” opinion. CAP has not only changed that righteousness, but it has ended it. As my mind open and I began to trust other people in the class I became more than willing to learn other people’s opinions. The action project renewed my faith in the human race.” Marely Kremler.

“I loved taking this class and learned a lot from being there. I made a bunch of new friends. The games and activities we did helped me in my life and made me think a lot more of the environment and how to deal with problems in general. This class helped me through the quarter, it gave me something to look forward to during the day. I’m extremely glad I took this class and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.”
~Alex Reed

“When people are in nature, interact with it, and are open-minded about their surroundings they start to realize that [food and shelter] are something to do to stay alive and working takes on a whole new meaning. Nature seems to bring out people’s true feelings and selves. No longer are they pressed with worries of everyday life as they know it, they are facing other more meaningful issues…I’ve started realizing that every little thing that someone does, does help and that it makes you feel loads better if you have done something and channeled anger into productivity: the cycle of hope. I got so excited about making a difference that for my CE I’ve joined the Wildland Restoration Volunteers. I am the head youth coordinator for projects and youth involvement… Sometimes we are scared of playing too big of a role, or that we’ll mess up, but if we keep our minds in the right direction and we keep on trying, the outcome can only be positive.” ~Carrie Harrison

“CAP is amazing. I learned so much from this class. Not just wilderness skills and community projects, but forming tight friendships as well. I created very good relationships in this class that will continue. I laughed the hardest I’ve laughed in a long time and I was challenged in new ways that stretched my old ways of thinking; my comfort levels were stretched… and tears actually fell when I was laying in bed sick on speakerphone with the whole class the last day. I will miss CAP so much and am grateful that I could be a part of it.” ~Dakota Hindman

“This class made me realize that I do have a big impact on our earth, and at the beginning of this class it was not a positive impact…Everyone goes through life thinking that using one thing won’t make a big difference, but when we all think that way there is a snowball effect…If I can encourage my friends and family to take some of the action I have I know that we can live in a healthier world. Also simply taking an interest in other environmental issues and raising awareness about it can create a happier world. When interacting with others in a positive manner it creates a happier environment in class. Accepting everyone because of their differences helps you learn about others and have a wider variety of knowledge and bigger friend circle. Being positive and staying green helps the earth and our community. I will keep going with my studies about the earth and keeping happy.”~Liz Schweber

“CAP was an amazing class, I learned lots of things. the things I learned will carry out in my life to come. I am going to be able to teach my fellow peers about important things that matter to this world, and I learned it all at school. I made new friendships that are really close now and I learned how to be an asset and a leader in the community. I wish that all students in the country were as lucky as I am and could take this class. If every student took this class our climate change situation would have a positive turn for the better.” ~Olivia Henry-Corell

Students Escape Concrete Jungle To Explore The Outdoors

Under the warmth of the sun, 13 students from Gilpin K-8 Montessori School escaped the concrete jungle of Denver last weekend to find themselves surrounded by snow-capped peaks to learn about the environment and how to survive in it. The goals were simple: get students outdoors, have fun, and connect them with the environment before we ask them to save it.

Thanks to a generous grant from REI, the Cottonwood Institute teamed up with FrontRange Earth Force and Gilpin to take students on an overnight camping trip in the mountains to help increase the accessibility of the outdoors for inner city youth in Denver. For the rest of the school year, Gilpin students will work with Earth Force to tackle energy issues at their school. This trip was an important step to help them gain a love and appreciation of the environment so they can go back home to the city and help reduce their environmental footprint.

As the sun made its way across the sky, students played sensory awareness games like the 360 degree stalk and participated in three fire stations learning various ways to make fire: one-match fire, cotton ball fire, and bow drill fire. The excitement in their voices as they learned a new skill was evidenced by the smiles on their faces as they watched their friends accomplish the same task.

Dinner was consumed hungrily and the anticipation of s’mores and hot chocolate by the campfire became too much to bear, so they set off on a night hike before settling by the fire.  With plentiful stars and crisp, cool air, the kids were eager to explore the darkness of their new weekend world.  They set out with headlamps on and came back to camp with nothing to light the night sky except the brilliance of the stars to guide their way.  The crackle of the fire provided warmth and comfort as the day ended and all looked forward to the next.

Sunday began bright and early with breakfast burritos and packing up camp, but the adventure was not over. The students ventured away from camp for a short hike and a shelter building competition. After the kids watched a quick demonstration of a debris shelter, they broke into groups and had an hour to build one of their own.  Whose would be the best?  Turns out they all were!

All too soon, it was time to pack up and head out.  In the words of the wise students, the instructors were “cool, fun, friendly, and helpful.”  Another student, Marylu, was so moved by the experience, she stated “I think I have enough resources to tackle an environmental issue, because this experience helped me to show leadership.”

What a fabulous way to spend the weekend!

Click here to check out the photo gallery of all the fun!

1st Quarter CAP — Action Project Week!

“Just say no to GMOs!”

hey, there — whatcha eating? Chips? Did you know that over 90% of all corn grown in the USA is genetically modified?

The 1st quarter CAP class’s Action Project, GMOs, taught them this, and many other startling facts about the nation’s Genetically Engineered food. It also taught them to be pay attention to the food they choose to eat. For their action project week students:

• Evaluated the contents of the vending machine.
• Had a GMO free bake sale.
• Did an awareness raising power point presentation for the school.
• And Hosted a GMO-free lunch for the school to raise awareness.

Students were inspired to pick GMO’s as their topic when they learned that Boulder County Commissioners are trying to decide whether to allow genetically modified sugar beets to grow on Open Space Land. The commissioners will make a decision soon and hope also to create an overarching policy for GMOs in Boulder County.

Other awesome highlights from the week: during their vending machine audit, students found that many items being sold probably contained genetically modified ingredients, it’s impossible to say for sure because in the United States companies are not required to label products which contain GMOs, unlike Europe, on Wednesday. students dressed up as creatures negatively affected by GMOs and presented to the school about what they had learned during Community Gathering; Thursday’s GMO free lunch was a hit!

There were some challenges however. “It’s a really complex issue,” said one student. “It was hard to make it [Action Project Week] fun for people and educational.”

Students say, it was also a struggle get started and definitively plan out all the details to  make a good Action Project. However, students said, “this class worked really well together,” and over the space of 9 weeks all made some solid friendships and learned a great deal about a pressing local environmental issue.

Great work, CAP class!

6 Things You Should Know About GMO's

By The 1st Quarter CAP class, 2009

• Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are creatures, like plants, that have been altered by humans on a genetic level. This involves altering the DNA of an organism to produce a different trait in that creature.
• Monsanto, a large corporation, manufactures many GMO crops. One type of crop they produce is called “Roundup Ready.” This means that when these plants are sprayed with the herbicide, Roundup, they will not die, but all other plants will.

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• Some Percentages:
  90% of corn
  87% of soy beans
  91% of cotton
  95% of sugar beets
  Grown in the U.S. are genetically modified.
• In Europe companies are required to label food that contains GMOs. In the U.S., despite demand for labeling from a large part of the population, companies are not required to label GMO ingredients.
• According to the people we spoke with for our action project are many reasons for concern:
  GMO seeds can contaminate non-GMO sources.
  The spraying of Roundup decreases pollinator habitat.
  More herbicides are sprayed on Roundup Ready crops than on organic crops.
  These herbicides threaten amphibian populations and enter our water supply.

Free Movie Night: Let’s Talk About Stuff!

Have you ever looked around your house and thought to yourself, “Man! I have so much junk!” Why do we have so much useless stuff? Where does all this stuff come from? Where does it go after we throw it away?

Annie Leonard explores these questions in her short video called, “The Story of Stuff.” Leonard describes in detail each step of the process of all of our stuff; from trashing the environment through extraction and the toxic chemicals used in production, to how we dispose of our stuff when we are finished with it.  Can you believe that 99% of the stuff we consume is trashed within 6 months of us purchasing it? At the end of the video Leonard talks about how we can work together to change this vicious cycle and create a more sustainable future.

Cottonwood Institute is teaming up with Prescott College to host a FREE showing of The Story of Stuff at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2009. The event will take place at the Boulder REI Store at 1789 28th Street, Boulder, CO 80301. Free raffle tickets for an REI gift card will be given to all who register as a participant of the event. To register, simply RSVP by contacting April Pishna, Cottonwood Institute Administrative Coordinator, via Email.

This event is free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged and will be used to help underwrite our Community Adventure Program (CAP).  CAP is a unique academic experience designed for adventurous students who want to practice outdoor skills, discuss and debate local outdoor and environmental issues, develop deeper friendships with their classmates, and who want to make a positive impact in their communities.

Come for the free movie and leave with an inspiration to change the world!

CAP Pre-Course Survey, 2nd Quarter 2009

Welcome to the Community Adventure Program. Before we get started, we need to get some feedback about the outdoors, 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 the class and this information will help us acquire new grants. Please Click Here To Take The Survey.

Free Survival Clinic at REI Boulder

Most survival situations happen when you least expect it and when you are least prepared. Before you head to the mountains this fall to explore the brilliant bursts of color 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, and techniques, and learn how to make a personal survival kit.

Our next presentation will be at REI Boulder – Friday, October 16, 2009, at 7pm located at: 1789 28th Street, Boulder, CO  80301. Please RSVP by contacting April Pishna, Cottonwood Institute Administrative Coordinator, via Email.

CAP Post-Course Survey, 1st Quarter 2009

As the quarter comes to a close, I wanted to get some open and honest feedback from this class about how to improve the CAP for future students. This information will not affect your grade, but please take it seriously. It will be reviewed by your school, the Cottonwood Institute, and this information will help us secure funding to make this class accessible to other high school students. Please Click Here to Take the Survey.

1st quarter CAP: Overnight!

On the weekend of the 26th, the 1st quarter CAP class went on their first overnight!

Allenspark was beautiful, as always — and not a cloud in the sky! In fact, the only imperfection that weekend was the wind. It blew and blustered all the day and night.

But in spite of a rather sleepless night, students were exceptionally timely and were ready to have fun all weekend!

Some skills they learned: how to select a killer campsite, how to build fires (everything from one match to a bow drill) and how to survive in the wilderness when their lives depend on it. Two students made coals from bow drill sets! If you didn’t know, this is hard to accomplish. Go Alex and Francis!

And through it all, expedition behavior was prevalent. They didn’t hesitate to ask for — or give — help, and it made the trip much more enjoyable.

In all, this has been a well-bonding, enthusiastic, and integrally thoughtful group. Well done, CAP class! Have fun next weekend!