From allergy symptoms to lost participants to severed fingers…sounds like an instructor’s worst nightmare, doesn’t it? No worries, these were just scenarios played out during our fall instructor training course to ensure that our instructors are prepared for the worst, but ready to deliver the best courses possible!

On a cloudy and chilly morning, 13 of us set out on a casual 2 mile hike to our beautiful training site for the weekend, Mica Mine at Calwood Outdoor Education Center.  While we worked hard throughout the weekend, practicing everything from medical scenarios to survival skills, every camping trip must have time for campfires, marshmallows, and guitar strumming.

With a diverse group of seasoned instructors, student leaders, and brand new faces, we worked on shelters, fire skills, cooking plans, kitchen setup, medical scenarios, debriefing lessons, games, and search and rescue.  We even had time to play in the mud for a service-learning project to improve the riparian ecosystem and help build a swimming hole for summer participants at Calwood.

As the weekend came to a close, the sun came out, and a sense of peace enveloped us all.  We are ready!  We are ready for anything!  We are ready to deliver the best!  We are ready to bring our strengths and passions for the environment to all of you!  Here’s to a great season of Cottonwood Institute courses!  Bring ’em on!  Because we are ready!

Click here for a slideshow of the adventurous and fun weekend with some of our amazing instructors!