Community Adventure Program Students Brave the Cold!

With wind chills predicted at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the brave students from this quarter’s Community Adventure Program (CAP) at New Vista High School  headed to the mountains near Allenspark, CO to take part in their first overnight of the class!  Several students had never camped before and many had never been winter camping.  With a week of preparation under their belts they set off, with many layers, to experience the Colorado outdoors in early November.

As the group drove into the mountains they took stock of how much snow had accumulated in hopes of building a quinzhee shelter.  The construction is quite simple, but requires some labor.  It is built by piling snow then hollowing out the pile after it has settled.  The dome shape and strength of the settled snow combine to make a structurally stable shelter that can be quite warm for 2 or 3 people. After setting up camp the group got to work piling snow for their own quinzhee.  A hike up the hill to take in the view of Long’s and Meeker’s Peaks gave enough time to let the pile settle and after just over an hour of trading off digging out the shelter they had created a sturdy quinzhee.  For the ultimate test, one adventurous student even slept in it overnight.  The group took it down the next day and everyone was surprised at the strength of the structure as 8 students stood atop the quinzhee and could not break it down without shovels and a lot of energy!  Check out the video below.

A few other highlights of the trip included an amazing moment watching clouds move quickly over the waxing moon, changing the light in a beautiful nighttime display. The group also had a great time playing a camo game and honing their stalking skills, as well as learning to use senses other than sight in the evening drum-stalk.  CAP students had a wonderful time and learned a great deal that they can put to use on their next winter outing in December!

A big thanks to the Cheeley Family for the use of their land and the drivers who helped us get to our site.

Exploring the Wilds of the Colorado Mountains

From the wilds of the city to the wilds of the Colorado mountains, students from West Denver Prep’s Lake Campus embarked on a journey to learn how to survive amidst the chill of a fall weekend.  Cottonwood Institute teamed up with West Denver Prep’s enrichment program to give kids the opportunity to connect to the outdoors, learn more about the environment, give back to the land, and then connect their experience to their everyday lives.

After setting up camp at Calwood Outdoor Education Center near Jamestown, the group went on an interpretive hike to learn more about their surroundings and become more attune to nature.  They learned how to foxwalk, played a variety of nature awareness games, and practiced several ways to make fire. But wait, the fun was not over yet.  Students were eager to try out their foxwalking skills in the dark while participating in the blind drum stalk, in which students are blindfolded and then proceed to find their way through the woods back to camp using only the sound of the beating drum.  As the stars lit up the night sky, everyone gathered around the campfire to enjoy smores and reflect on an active, yet exciting day.

The next morning dawned bright and early, and after a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and all the fixings, it was off to give back to Calwood for generously donating their land for our overnight.  The students worked together, lifting and dragging logs to cover up an old trail.  Their strong work ethic continued over into the first part of making debris shelters.  But as the afternoon wore on and students became worn out, their efforts waned and shelters took a backseat to rest and snacks.  While the students were tired at the end of the adventure, there were still smiles and laughter to be had by all as everyone clamored into the van and headed back into the wilds of the city.

Click here for a slideshow of the weekend’s adventure.

Reflective Fall Retreat for Earth Task Force

On Friday October 7th, the members of Earth Task Force (ETF) headed up into the mountains for a fall retreat at The Highlands Camp and Retreat Center in Allenspark, Colorado.

The trip was planned and facilitated by students and ETF mentors with borrowed gear and organizational help from The Cottonwood Institute to help them pursue their goal of rekindling their passions for environmental sustainability while also reconnecting with peers outside of school. The ETF knows that time in the wild is an important part of staying grounded while working on the tough issues that environmental sustainability can pose.

The group enjoyed hiking, climbing, and exploring in the breathtaking landscape of the Colorado Rockies.   They also partook in cooking adventures, playing in the woods, and singing around the fire.  While many stayed in cabins, a few of the braver students slept in tents.  In the morning, they awoke to snow on the ground with delicate flakes still falling.  The superheroes spent time talking about what inspired them to make change in the community and about their plans and ideas for the coming year.

One member said, “You can hear the most depressing stories, but when I see a group taking action to make change, no matter how small, I am never depressed.”  The retreat achieved the goals to reconnect and plan for the coming year.  The time away reminded students and mentors of the precious land they are working to protect.

Click here to read more about what motivates these amazing teens!

Article written by Earth Task Force member, Raina Galbiati, and edited by Paige Doughty.

Update – Earth Task Force Students WIN the Center for Resource Conservation’s Youth Conservation ReWard

UPDATE – Breaking News – The Earth Task Force has WON the 2011 Center for Resource Conservation’s Youth Conservation ReWard!

Congratulations goes out to ETF on a ReWard well deserved!  Keep up the strong work!

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Congratulations! The Earth Task Force’s Board of Super Heroes (BOSH) was chosen as a finalist for the Center for Resource Conservation‘s Youth Conservation ReWard.  These four outstanding students, Kelly Percy, Kelly Muller, Malcolm Marshall, and Aleyna Porreca, are all leading members of New Vista High School’s (NVHS) Earth Task Force (ETF).

The Earth Task Force (ETF) is an environmental club at New Vista High School in Boulder, which came into fruition from a small group of CAP students wanting to do more for NVHS.  CAP is the Community Adventure Program, an environmental education class offered at New Vista High School in Boulder.  Both ETF and CAP are sponsored by the Cottonwood Institute.

Truly all of the students of the ETF have achieved amazing things at their school: having solar panels and low flow toilets installed, buying vending misers for the vending machines, hosting an annual all local lunch for the entire school for free, inviting the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) to present to the school. And the members of BOSH do even more.

BOSH meets on a weekly basis, outside of school time, to plan an agenda for the upcoming week’s meetings. They pick up the slack if their peers do not finish what they’ve started, and they model incredible enthusiasm and inspiration for changing the world through conservation of resources and much more. These four students volunteer upwards of 160 hours of time every year in service to the conservation of resources in Boulder County.

It is not easy to be a peer leader at any age. In particular in high school it is a daring and daunting task to stand up in front of a group friends and speak for what you care about. Even more so it is difficult to motivate other students and to help them stay on task. As these students have come into their own as leaders the ETF has run more efficiently.

In addition to their leadership positions, a few of their specific successes are listed below:

Kelly Percy has been a Public Relations Officer extraordinaire. She is a logistical master and speaks passionately about upcoming projects and environmental issues at weekly all-school assemblies. She helped design and screen print t-shirts for the group bearing the ETF student-designed logo. She writes weekly announcements in the school newspaper and manages the ETF bulletin board. She has also been a dedicated part of the Transportation Transformation Team, ETF’s program that rewards students for using alternative transportation to arrive at school.

Kelly Muller is our ACE Coordinator. In this role she reports all of our completed projects to ACE using an online form. She is often the voice at weekly meetings: writing the agenda, getting people’s attention and helping her peers (and sometimes her teachers) stay on task. This fall she planned and ran a Fall Retreat for 20 students in the mountains. She has also volunteered countless hours in the school’s garden, which is designed as both a place for students to experiment with growing their own food and a pollinator habitat.

Malcolm Marshall is the student behind the often repeated and incredibly popular “Bring Your Own Mug Day.” At this event students at school are offered free coffee and tea if they bring their own mug. Malcolm solicits donations, coordinates servers for the event, picks up the beverages and posts informational signs about the 63 million to go cups trashed daily in the U.S. alone. He has also been a co-leader in our Local Lunch event.

Aleyna Porreca has taken the lead on one of the biggest most complicated projects the ETF has done three years running. This year ETF will be hosting our third annual “All Local Lunch” for the students and staff of New Vista. This event involves hours of phone calling and emails to request food donations, menu planning, donation pick ups, schedule coordination, not to mention prepping and cooking food for 200+ people. Every year Aleyna has grown in her capacity as a leader of this project. In addition Aleyna has become an accomplished student leader on wilderness trips through the Cottonwood Institute. She believes that one of the most important parts of inspiring environmental citizenry is connecting students with nature.

There is no doubt that these students deserve high honors and recognition for the work they have done and will continue to do in service to the conservation of resources in Boulder County and beyond.

Here’s to BOSH – While you are already winners, may this prestigious award go to you!  You deserve it!

Written by Paige Doughty and edited by April Pishna.

Students Were Deeply Impacted By CAP This Quarter

Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at New Vista High School were deeply impacted by their outdoor experiences this quarter.  In CAP class, one of our goals is always to awaken students to their gifts and abilities to make change in their own lives and the lives of people in their communities.  The reflections of this quarter’s students show the strengths of this experiential class and the self-realization that comes from knowing how connected we all are to the natural world and the people around us.

“This quarter’s CAP class was a very eye-opening experience for me. For example, it
was the first time I have ever gone camping, slept outside, was the first time I have ever heard about GMO’s, and the first time I have ever used ways other than a lighter to make fire…Overall, CAP has introduced me to many new ideas and ways of thinking about things such as the food I eat, the trash I throw away, and how much time I spend outdoors.” Jack Lenny

“I am so glad that we learned about our ecological footprints and ways to reduce our consumption, otherwise I would have never known and couldn’t have changed anything.” Ali Quinn

“I can make a difference in my world and I know that all I have to do is try.  After I went through this class and collected all that it had to give me I know that I can change my community for the better.” Keva Alvarado-Yule

“Everything we did in class was amazing; overnights, action project, and CAP in general were so great and I know that I won’t look at the world the same way.” Sarah Patterson

“Thank you for the opportunity to show each other what we are and who we will become.  [CAP] has given us a goal that is so important…” Max Ryan

“I really think that this class is absolutely amazing and cool.  I think everyone should take it, and I think it should be required in all high schools.” Sarah Patterson

“We will all eventually find our way back to the earth by listening to the moon and stars, sun and wind, to the heart beat of the earth pounding like a drum through everything.” Rayna Miller

Check out all the fun, by clicking here for a photo slideshow.

 

Buckley Air Force Base and CI Team up for Survival

Here at Cottonwood Institute, we are all about teamwork. On a pleasantly warm fall evening in October at Cherry Creek Reservoir, Clark Patton from CI teamed up with a group of campers from Buckley Air Force Base’s Youth Programs for a couple of hours of fun and fire skills.  As a guest instructor with a team of highly skilled military men, it was an honor to be invited to their youth camp for a survival overview.

While the time was short, the students learned basic survival priorities and even had time for a torch-lit night hike. Clark had everyone laughing and wanting more by the time the night was over.  No worries, Cottonwood Institute and Buckley Air Force Base will be teaming up again next spring. We will work together to implement a weekend survival course giving everyone more time to not only learn and practice survival skills, but also time to laugh and enjoy the outdoors.

Part of the Movement to Label GMOs

The 30th Community Adventure Program (CAP) started off the 2011-2012 school year with an energetic bang! Students took an early interest in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and that shaped the class as they delved into research and public action!

The pertinence of the topic of GMOs was amazing.  The first week of class three students attended a rally at the court house on their own time against GMO’s being planted on public land.  The class followed up by writing letters to the County Commissioners objecting to the planting of genetically modified sugar beets on Boulder County Open Space.

CAP also visited the Flatirons Neighborhood Farm to see a working organic garden which produces GMO-free produce for the surrounding neighborhood.  Then the students took their knowledge to the streets, educating and asking for petition signatures. According to Katie Maxwell, “It was strange to hear myself teaching others about the things I had only recently learned about, but I loved knowing that now they knew about this huge problem in our country that is so overlooked. If just one of them went home that night and looked up what a GMO was then we succeeded because knowledge was spread.”

The class gathered 141 signatures for the Organic Consumers Association asking for the labeling of genetically modified foods in our grocery stores.  Students also announced some of our findings at the Community Gathering at New Vista High School to help educate their peers.  As national groups came together around this cause, the class invited the communications director from Alfalfa’s Market into the classroom to talk about their part in spreading the word about labeling GMOs in our food.  It was an incredible learning experience for everyone.  As Eric Falconer summed it up, “That’s why this class is so awesome, because if you’ve never really been involved in an issue then you get a chance to experience it, and if you have, then you’re just making a greater impact.”

Thank you to everyone involved in making this quarter a great learning experience for everyone!

Check out all the fun and dedication by clicking here for a photo slideshow.

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

They said we were too small. They said our network wasn’t big enough. They said don’t even bother applying. They said we didn’t have a chance. And yet we did it!

We just received the official announcement that the Cottonwood Institute won the 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award and $25,000 to support our programs to connect kids to the outdoors.

Specifically, funding will support our partnerships with West Denver Prep to connect low-income students to the outdoors, Operation: Military Kids to get children from military families outdoors while their parents are serving our country, and public school students from New Vista High School to attend weekend camping trips through our Community Adventure Program.

In order to say thanks, we want give you an opportunity to sample Markham Vineyards wine for yourself, simply:

• Go to our Facebook Page by Clicking Here
• Click the “Like” button at the top of the page
• On November 1, 2011, we will randomly select 4 Cottonwood Institute Facebook Page members to receive a bottle of Markham’s Merlot that you can use to help toast our victory.
• You must be 21+ year old to win
• If you do not have a Facebook account, but still want to enter the drawing, shoot us an email and we will put your name in the hat!

There are too many people to thank for helping us win, but we wanted to give a quick shout out to Kellie Grengs, Jessica Haddy, April and Ken Pishna, Ashley Nelson, James Foy, Argonaut Liquor, Fluid Coffee Bar, Prescott College, University of Denver Marketing Department, Blues Jean Bar, and Colorado & Company for encouraging their networks to vote. We could not have won without you. We are so grateful for your support and very humbled by this entire experience! And of course none of this would have been possible without Markham Vineyards, so thank you so much for empowering us to continue, “changing the world, one adventure at a time!”

West Denver Prep Students Learn About Liquid Gold for World Water Monitoring Day

On a rain-soaked and chilly afternoon, students from West Denver Prep Lake Campus joined forces with Earth Force and Cottonwood Institute to learn about water, or what we like to call, liquid gold, for World Water Monitoring Day.

After an extremely damp walk to Sloan’s Lake to discuss the fundamentals of water conservation and to collect a water sample, everyone quickly made it back indoors for a fun afternoon working at 3 different hands on water stations. At the first station, the students performed a pH and oxygen test on the water sample from Sloans Lake. The second and third stations demonstrated the effects of pollution and how easily water becomes polluted when we do not take care of our planet.

It didn’t take long for the students to realize that they need to help protect this precious resource that could one day be more valuable than gold.

A special thanks goes out to West Denver Prep students for their dedication to the environment and education and to Leo Canner for volunteering his time!  May you all continue to make waves!

Click here for a photo slideshow of the day’s events.

Written by Leo Canner and edited by April Pishna.

We Are Ready: Cottonwood Institute Instructors Learn It All!

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!