Recommended Books
Cottonwood Institute educational programs address a variety of topics including essential camping and wilderness survival skills, environmental education, and changing the world. We have had several requests for book recommendations, so we have compiled the following list that we have in our library. We recommend buying your books through a company called Book Sense, an online family of independent booksellers. When you purchase a book from this list, a percentage of your sale will be donated to help underwrite our public school educational programs in the Boulder/Denver area. Click on the link below, enter your zip code, and choose your favorite local independent bookstore!
ESSENTIAL CAMPING AND WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SKILLS:
- 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive!, by Cody Lundin
- Backpacker’s Field Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills, by Rick Curtis
- Bush Craft, by Mors Kochanski
- Earth Knack: Stone Age Skills for the 21st Century, by Bart and Robin Blankenship
- Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills, Edited by David Wescott
- Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival, by Tom Brown, Jr.
- When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive when Disaster Strikes, by Cody Lundin
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION:
- Earth in Mind, by David orr
- Earth Speaks, by Steve Van Matre and Bill Weiler
- Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, by Gregory Tilford
- Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire, by John MacLean
- Land Above the Trees: A Guide to American Alpine Tundra, by Ann H. Zwinger and Beatrice E. Willard.
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv
- Plants of the Rocky Mountains, by Kershaw, MacKinnon, and Pojar
- Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, by James Halfpenny
- Snow Sense, by Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler
- Vicious: Wolves and Men in America, by Jon Coleman
CHANGING THE WORLD:
- Better Together: Restoring the American Community, by Robert Putnam
- Better World Handbook, by Jones, Haenfler, and Johnson
- Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam
- Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond
- Cradle to Cradle: Redesigning the way we Make Things, by McDonough and Braungart
- Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying, by David Bach
- Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time, by Paul Rogat Loeb
- Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell
GoodShop
Now you can shop online and support the Cottonwood Institute! By clicking on the links below, you can knock out all of your shopping for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions:
GoodShop - Now you can shop for just about anything through GoodSearch.com. Enjoy shopping online with companies like: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Gap, Macy’s, Old Navy, Amazon.com, and more! Make sure you type in “Cottonwood Institute” under the section that says “Who Do You GoodSearch For?” and shop till you drop!
- iTunes
Everyone deserves music and with accessibility to over 1 million songs you can’t go wrong with iTunes. iTunes gift certificates are a perfect gift for music lovers of all ages. A percentage of your purchase will be donated to support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area, so rock out!
CI Merchandise
Welcome to the Cottonwood Institute Store where you can shop with a conscience! We have partnered with amazing organizations to set up an online store so our students can get the gear they need for our courses and visitors can shop for the holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Everyone can feel great about their purchases because when you shop by clicking on the links below, a percentage of your sale goes to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area. So go crazy and shop till you drop! Best of all, shipping is free!
OFFICIAL COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE SURVIVAL KIT:
Official Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit: Each survival kit includes A Survival Kit Manual describing how to use each item, a custom embroidered survival kit nylon bag, a 4.5” Frosts Mora survival knife, a trash bag, an emergency blanket, 25-feet of parachute cord, a lighter, strike anywhere matches, a fire striker, petroleum cotton balls, a metal cup, water purification tablets, a whistle, and a signal mirror. Price: $75.00. Free Shipping Included!. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Survival Kits go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit, call 303.447.1076.
Official Cottonwood Institute Survival Knife: There are thousands of knives on the market, but no knife compares to the Frosts Mora Clipper. This is a full-tang carbon steel blade making it the perfect survival knife at a very affordable price. Carbon steel is easier to sharpen and maintain than stainless steel. It may rust in wet or humid conditions, but it will not compromise the integrity of the steel and is easily removed with steel wool. This knife is the best bang for your buck and is field tested and highly recommended by the Cottonwood Institute. Price: $25.00 each. Free Shipping Included!. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Survival Knives will go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Survival Knife, call 303.447.1076.
COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE’S COLORADO TIMBERLINE EMBROIDERED VEST:
Cottonwood Institute Colorado Timberline Embroidered Vest: Our stylish black microfiber vest is made of 100% polyester shell and 100% nylon lining. Our 4-pocket vest has the following features: abrasion reinforced and water repellent shoulders, heavy weight anti pill fleece, drawcord hem for warmth, durable and warm without the weight. Each vest is embroidered with the subtle, yet familiar Cottonwood Institute logo. A great gift to past CAP and course students and participants. Price: $50.00 each. Free Shipping Included! We currently have sizes: XS - S - M - L and we have noticed that these sizes run about a size too big. For example, size S fits like size M. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Cottonwood Institute Vests will go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Denver/Boulder area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Colorado Timberline Vest call 303.447.1076.
COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE’S LONG SLEEVE EMBROIDERED T-SHIRT:
Official Cottonwood Institute Long Sleeve Embroidered T-Shirt: Our stylish gray long sleeve t-shirt is made of pre-shrunk 100% cotton. This is the perfect companion to any backpack while in the back country. We choose gray because of the wear-ability and longevity for showing continued wear while on week-long excursions. Each long sleeve t-shirt is embroidered with the subtle, yet familiar Cottonwood Institute logo. A great gift to past CAP and course students and participants. Price: $25.00 each. Free Shipping Included!. We currently have sizes: S - M - L - XL. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Long Sleeve T-Shirts will go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Denver/Boulder area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Long Sleeve T-Shirt call 303.447.1076.
Stores For Students
To help gear up for your Cottonwood Institute, we have included a list of online stores to help you buy the equipment and books you will need and to help book your travel reservations. By supporting our partners, you will support our educational programs and scholarship fund!
- REI is a cooperative business that has been very supportive of the Cottonwood Institute through financial contributions and gear donations. REI.com sells quality gear, clothing and footwear for outdoor recreation. All products are backed by a 100% guarantee. REI.com customers can enjoy free shipping to any of REI’s 60+ stores nationwide. A percentage of your purchase will help support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
- Indie Bookstore is an online family of independent booksellers. When you buy a book or gift card through Indie Bookstore, you have the comfort knowing that you are
supporting local independent bookstores in your community. Please visit the Recommended Books section and support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
- Orbitz
is a one stop shop to make your travel arrangements to participate in a
Cottonwood Institute course. Search for the lowest airline fares, book
a hotel, and even rent a car through Orbitz! A percentage of your
purchase will be donated to support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
let’s you create photo albums to share with your friends and family,
purchase professional quality prints, and make cool things like photo
albums, photo mugs, and t-shirts. After completing your Cottonwood
Institute course, check our Photo Album link to purchase photos from
your course. Remember, a percentage of your purchase will be donated to
support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
