CAP Reconnects to Nature

Every quarter offers something new for each Community Adventure Program (CAP) student at New Vista High School in Boulder, and this past one was no different.  While traipsing through the snow on both overnights, the students learned a lot about themselves, each other, and how to be comfortable outdoors in the Colorado winter! Read what CAP student, Giselle, had to say about her experience.

“This overnight camping trip was one of the longest times I have spent in nature since I was 5. And in that time, I realized how much I missed out on all these years by not going into nature more often. When we live in civilization every day and are exposed to nothing but dull concrete and distracting technology, we begin to forget how amazing nature really is. We take it for granted, and are told by society – artificializing every piece of earth they can get their hands on – that it is something far away and really not that important. This camping trip re-established the deep connection with nature I used to have. It opened my eyes and made me realize that nature is not something far away, but instead it is something that is closer to me than anything else.

Probably my favorite moment during the second hike we did was when we were learning about building a snow shelter and me and a few other people were just lying in the snow. It was just really calming and kind of ironic that I was warmer lying in the snow than standing up. I’ve never really liked snow that much at all, so it was kind of funny that my favorite memory has to do with snow. I also thought the snow in itself was really cool, because it was more like sugar crystals than snow. I have never seen snow like that in my life. And it was really fun walking through it, especially when it was like 2 feet deep.

So overall, I would say this was a really great camping trip, and it really changed my perspective on my relationship with nature. It made me value and love nature more than I have in a really long time, and exposed me to a new reality. Since I have grown up in a culture of constant convenience and distraction where you can get basically anything you need all packaged and prepared across the street and don’t really ever have time to just sit and relax and enjoy life for what it really is, where you don’t have time for inconveniences, it was really nice to see what life would be like if you didn’t get everything handed to you. I also felt it helped build a strong sense of community in the class.”

A huge thank you goes out to Giselle for sharing her experiences.

Re-kindle your connection with nature by clicking here for a slideshow of their adventures.

 

Quality Quinzhees from Quality Instructors!

It’s hard to think about winter survival skills when its been in the 60’s recently here in Denver.  But only a few weeks ago, we had enough snow to build some serious quinzhees.  Amidst the gently falling flakes at Brainard Lake Recreation Area, a quintessential group of outdoor educators gathered together for Cottonwood Institute’s annual winter instructor training.

While learning about shelters, fire skills, thermodynamics, and environmental issues, more importantly, we built relationships: connecting not only with each other, but with the land and its resources. Working together we create curriculum for our students that go above and beyond your typical outdoor education courses.  We create change-makers!

A special thanks and huge shout-out to all of our rock-star instructors!  Without you programs like the Community Adventure Program, Earth Task Force, Cesar Chavez Organic Gardening, and Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking, to name only a few, would not be possible.  Thank you for making Cottonwood Institute courses what they are: creative, fun, inspirational, empowering, action-packed, and of course, educational!

“Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, usually do.” (Unknown) Until our next training in June, stay crazy!

How many instructors can you fit in a quinzhee? Check out the amazing video below for the answer:

Click here to view a slideshow of our hard work throughout the day.

Earth Task Force Hosts Annual Recycling Relay Race

Can you recycle frozen food boxes? What about the crates that strawberries and tomatoes are packaged in? Did you know that aluminum is mined from under the rainforest and that it can be recycled an infinite number of times?

Recycling is one of the simplest environmental actions we can take, but it’s got some complicated rules, and they change often. That’s why in early November the Earth Task Force (ETF) hosted a relay race to educate their peers about recycling.

After learning that improper recycling can cause whole loads of recyclable materials to be sent to the landfill the ETF came up with a fun and educational way to teach their school—New Vista High School (NVHS) how to practice the three R’s with style, and the Recycling Relay Race was born.

Every Advisory, which includes every student at NVHS, participated in the competition and had a chance to battle it out and either continue on the next round or be kicked to the curb!!

Over the course of two days, the ETF brought every advisory to NVHS’s Community Room to sort out recyclable or non-recyclable items and place them in the correct receptacles. Students were given tricky choices, such as greasy cardboard pizza boxes, glossy magazines, and plastic cups.

ETF had a recycling expert on hand, from local non-profit Eco-Cycle, which handles the recycling services for the school. Eco-Cycle was able to explain tricky items and judge the results. Students had a great time and gained knowledge about how to help keep as many materials as possible out of the landfill.

With a $50 prize on the line, for the winning Advisory, the competition was fierce. In a statement after the winner was announcement, the triumphant Advisory Leader declared,

“We learned what goes where and how to effectively minimize our waste. I feel like this was a great opportunity for us to practice these skills in a really fun way… Ultimately I think that the race was a positive thing, because it made us really focus on what we throw out and how. And it’s always fun to win!”

As for what they’ll do with their grand prize? The students plan to buy snacks and materials for their advisory projects and celebrations throughout the year.   In an effort to continue to educate incoming students and remind returning students about what goes where, ETF has decided to make the Recycling Relay Race an annual event.

This is Gracie Currier-Tait, ETF member, signing off!
Edited by Paige Doughty

The Earth Task Force (ETF) is a Cottonwood Institute-supported program at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO designed to give students an opportunity to take the lead to implement sustainability initiatives at their school.

Top 10 Inspiring Stories From 2011

2011 has been a phenomenal year filled with amazing accomplishments, awards, and inspiring stories about our students getting outdoors and taking action to make a difference in the community. Here are our top 10 favorite stories from 2011:

1. Earth Task Force Recognized for National Green Prize and Receives $10,000 Check!

2. Cottonwood Institute Wins $25,000 and 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award

3. A Meal For Many: New Vista High School and The Kitchen Restaurant Host Local Lunch 2011

4. Earth Task Force Students Win the Center For Resource Conservation’s Youth Conservation ReWard

5. Green Dress Exchange: Earth Task Force Re-Thinks Prom

6. West Denver Prep “Whips” Into Shape This Spring!

7. West Denver Prep Students Learn About Liquid Gold

8. Casa de la Esperanza Girls Gobble It Up

9. “Sit and Listen” – Operation: Military Kids Overnight Teaches More Than Just Survival

10. Cottonwood Institute Hosts Environmental Leadership Summit With Johnson & Wales

The Cottonwood Institute would like to thank all of our students, parents, instructors, board members, educational partners, donors, supporters, and cheerleaders for making 2011 such a success.

To help ensure we have an extraordinary 2012, please consider making a tax-deductible donation by December 31, 2011 by Clicking Here.

Cottonwood Institute Impact Surges in 2011

As I reflect about the impact the Cottonwood Institute had this past year, I am delighted to see our impact surge in 2011.

We do a lot more that just connect kids to the outdoors. In the words of one of our instructors Madeline Bachner, “Our courses are centered around cultivating direct action for positive change, appreciation for nature, an interest in environmental issues,  a passion for community involvement, and inspired service.”

As you and your family consider supporting your favorite charities for Colorado Gives Day and during the holiday season, here are a few reasons to invest in the Cottonwood Institute:

STRONG PARTNERSHIPS: We served over 350 youth and delivered over 13,000 program contact hours in 2011 and we couldn’t have done it without strong partnerships from:

• West Denver Preparatory Charter School serving low-income public school students in Denver, CO.
• New partnerships serving diverse students from Casa de la Esperanza, Lakewood High School, GOAL Academy, Johnson & Wales University, Buckley Air Force Base, and Welcome Home Warrior.
• New Vista High School serving public school students in Boulder, CO to deliver the Community Adventure Program and support the Earth Task Force. 

ACTION PROJECTS: Our students recorded over 6,000 environmental service-learning project hours completing “Action Projects” to help address local issues in their schools, the community, and the environment. Here are a few highlights:

• A Meal For Many: New Vista High School and The Kitchen Restaurant Host Local Lunch 2011
• West Denver Prep Students Learn About Liquid Gold For World Water Monitoring Day
• Gardening Made Simple and 100 Ways To Change The World
• West Denver Prep “Whips” Into Shape This Spring

AWARDS: The Cottonwood Institute and our students received three key awards in 2011 and it is great to see our hard work be recognized on a local and national level:

• Cottonwood Institute Wins $25,000 and 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award
• Earth Task Force Recognized for National Green Prize and Receives $10,000 Check!
• Earth Task Force Students Win the Center For Resource Conservation’s Youth Conservation ReWard

AMAZING INSTRUCTORS: Anyone can write a lesson plan, but it takes gifted instructors to deliver and facilitate a high impact program. We could not do what we do without April Pishna, Madeline Bachner, Paige Doughty, Paul Dreyer, Clark Patton, Tim Joynt, Kristin Maharg, Ryan Johns, Jason Lawrence, and all of the other phenomenal instructors we have the honor and privilege of working with each year.

Finally, I wanted to share a quote we read to  students at the end of our courses:

 

“Don’t be on the sidelines, be on the court of life. Don’t go through this world on autopilot. Don’t always take the easy path. Don’t go through this world with blinders on. Go through this world with wide-angle vision, be a leader, challenge yourself, walk your talk, take the initiative, step up when others won’t, because in the end that’s what life is all about. Your community needs you, the environment needs you, the world needs you. We need your energy, your voice, your perspective, your optimism, your hope.” – Anonymous

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Ford Church, M. A., Founder and Executive Director
Cottonwood Institute

CAP Takes A Bite Out of Healthy Eating

The Community Adventure Program (CAP) rounded out 2011 with a great project on healthy alternatives to fast food.  The students researched and used  experience with their peers eating habits to shape a project based on finding healthy and affordable alternatives to the easily accessible fast food chains near the school.  CAP students became interested in a few different aspects of eating well: from thinking about waste in restaurants and packaging, to how animals are treated,  the distance the food travels to get to your plate, in addition to basic nutrition.

The class had a great resource experience meeting with Whitney Johnson, Whole Foods’ healthy eating specialist and hearing from their meat department.  They learned about the ways that animal lifestyles are qualified for meat labeling in the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Program.  The class toured the different departments of Whole Foods looking for nutrition, less packaging and good deals.  They also made delicious and simple black bean humus with Whitney’s assistance.  The deli was very kind to the students, providing a late lunch with lots of yummy options and highlighting their new deal of 5 choices for $5 starting this winter.

CAP finished the quarter with a presentation about what they had learned and a plea to their fellow students to be thoughtful about their eating decisions.

The class’ closing remarks from their presentation were as follows:

“We all knew that fast food was bad for us, but we didn’t know what went on behind the scenes.  We all live in a time where we’re trying to make a change.  What we put into our bodies is a big part of our lives. Know what it is you’re eating.  We can’t force you to eat better, but it’s your choice to eat well or eat badly.  Keep in mind what’s in the food you’re eating, and how far it’s traveled to get to you.  It costs a little more to eat real food, but it’s worth the price.”

A huge thank you to Whitney and Whole Foods for providing us with great resources and ideas!

CAP Students Reflect On Another Amazing Quarter

As Community Adventure Program (CAP) students reflected on another amazing quarter, they came together as a class and had a blast learning and playing on their overnights and at school.  They researched food issues and developed a great sense of what goes into making and eating quality food. But, as usual, the main takeaway was an appreciation of the outdoors and each other.

“Going through this class made me gain a stronger sense of acceptance, respect and teamwork!”    – Zoe Clark

The overnight weekend was a huge success.  There were some great moments shared and remembered from looking out over the valley towards Long’s Peak.  Many students commented on the vast stretch of trees and amazing feeling of not seeing much evidence of people.  The CAP class made a solid quinzhee on our overnight and learned a lot about staying warm in the Colorado winters.  They worked well together, and played even better.

“CAP was much more than surviving in the wilderness, it was about having fun while you learn how to keep yourself safe and really paying attention to what’s going on around you in the world you live in.”  Jordan Hartnett

The class grew in their awareness of the world and how we treat it.  They looked forward to class and time to work on their project.  They were a fun talkative group that put some great effort into their learning.

“I rarely look forward to classes, but this was one I was happy to have in the afternoon as it was always a really mellow class where we could talk about different issues and learn about the wilderness.”   Kai Sharp

Donate to the Cottonwood Institute for Colorado Gives Day Today!

Colorado Gives Day is officially two weeks away on Tuesday, December 6, 2011, but you can set up your donation to the Cottonwood Institute today! With your help we can meet our end of the year goal to raise the critical funds we need to help connect diverse students to the outdoors and empower them to tackle local issues in their schools, the community, and the environment.

What is Colorado Gives Day? Thanks to the generous support of the Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day is a campaign designed to encourage people like you to “give where you live” to support your favorite local charities like the Cottonwood Institute!

How You Can Help Right Now: You don’t have to wait until December 6th, you can schedule a donation for Colorado Gives Day right now by Clicking Here. Please make sure you check the box that says: “Schedule Donation For Colorado Gives Day.”

How Your Donation Will Help: Your donation will help students like Jesus and his classmates from West Denver Prep explore the outdoors and address water pollution issues at Sloans Lake in Denver, CO.

More Reasons To Give: 100% of donations made through GivingFirst.org will benefit the Cottonwood Institute and our programs with no credit card or administrative fees. Donations made on December 6th will help the Cottonwood Institute receive a percentage of a $300,000 fund set up to encourage people to donate on Colorado Gives Day in addition to bonus bucks and other prizes announced throughout the day.

If You Already Made A Donation: If you already made a donation in 2011, thank you so much! Please encourage your family, friends, and colleagues who care about youth, education, and the environment to donate to the Cottonwood Institute on Colorado Gives Day, by Clicking Here and spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, and Google +!

Casa de la Esperanza Girls Gobble It Up!

Gobble! Gobble!  “I saw a turkey!”  That was all it took. If there were any reservations about hiking earlier in the day, those dissipated as soon as the girls eyed the turkey off in the distance.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it was only fitting to find wild turkeys on our first outing with our newest partner, Casa de la Esperanza in Longmont, Colorado.  Casa de la Esperanza is a residential community owned and operated by the Boulder County Housing Authority, dedicated to helping agricultural workers.   Their learning center provides educational and recreational services to Casa residents, including an onsite after-school program and academic center.  Cottonwood Institute has teamed up with them to offer a girls empowerment course and plans are in progress to offer a boys program as well.

On an unusually warm fall day in early November, the girls, ranging in age from 8 to 14, headed to Heil Valley Ranch just outside of Boulder for a day hike and an introduction to survival skills.  While the turkeys and their tracks were the highlight of the trip, the girls also sipped on some pine needle tea, practiced fire skills, enjoyed a yummy lunch, and even managed to find time for a hike.

At the end of the day, nobody wanted to leave.  One of the girls was especially excited to stay, “I wanna go home, I mean right here in the woods, I wanna live here!”  And they all followed that thought with, “We wanna go camping!”  Here’s to more adventures with the girls from Casa de la Esperanza.  Who knows?  Maybe a camping trip or two could be in their future!

Click here for a slideshow of the day’s adventures.

Snowballs and Quinzhees with Lakewood High School!

Picture this: The peaceful silence of snow-capped mountains towering above a vast blanket of white…WHOOOSH! The silence changes quickly into peals of laughter as 11 pairs of boot-donned feet trample quickly out of range of the next onslaught of snowballs.

For Cottonwood Institute, an early snowfall doesn’t hinder survival courses; in fact, they just become more exciting. On a late October day, a group of Lakewood High School students and their teachers headed to Conifer for a day of survival skills and snowballs. While most focused their efforts building a quinzhee shelter by piling up massive amounts of snow and then digging out the inside, a few remained dedicated to the constant snowball fights that kept everyone entertained throughout the course.

The quinzhee did take up most of the course, but there was still time to work on fire skills, discuss survival scenarios, and enjoy a hearty lunch under the bright blue Colorado sky. All in all, it was a successful day as evidenced by the amazing quinzhee shelter built and the few snores that accompanied the bus ride home.

Click here for a slideshow of the day’s adventures.

A special thanks goes out to Wildland Awareness Educational Institute for use of their land outside of beautiful Conifer, CO!