New Vista High School CAP Class Ignites Action! Written by CAP Instructor Sadie Norton. Wildfire Preparedness: Is Your Home Ready? Take the Test! The Prelude: This quarter’s CAP Class had quite the learning journey this Spring. Throughout the quarter, we spent time connecting to nature, gaining an appreciation for the beauty in the world around… Read more »
Students Encounter Wildlife, Build Shelters, and Learn Valuable Outdoor Skills on a Memorable Camping Trip. Written by Instructor M Tormasi. Earlier in April, Cottonwood Institute had the wonderful opportunity to take New Vista High School students camping just 25 minutes northwest of their school. Throughout the trip, many students stepped into leadership roles, facilitating team-building… Read more »
Coyote or Kangaroo Rat: New Vista CAP Students Experience the Thrill of the Hunt (and the Joy of Play) at Betasso Preserve Field Day. Written by Instructor Amy Atkins. Do you ever wonder what it feels like to be a kangaroo rat? (Maybe right now, your brain took a hard right detour, and you are… Read more »
Inspiring Students Through Outdoor Adventures: A Journey of Leadership, Connection with Nature, Service, and Fun. Written by Hailey Tresch. The Cottonwood Institute has had many successful trips to Cheley Colorado Camp, and this trip was not an exception. 14 New Vista High School students and four adults spent two fun-packed days in the woods near… Read more »
The greenhouse effect may be one of the primary drivers of global warming, but did you know that it can also make delicious solar cookies? Last month, New Vista CAP students gathered at Eben G. Fine park near downtown Boulder for the second field day of the year and the first week of fall. After… Read more »
Written by CI CAP Instructor Chelsea Tossing “Hoot, hoot!” I hollered across the field at Chautauqua Park to gather my students. “Ca-CAWWW” my students yelled back at me in their best bird impressions. On September 10th, the New Vista High School crew headed out to the Enchanted Mesa trailhead for our first walking field day… Read more »
As so many of us have done these last 8 weeks or so, Cottonwood Institute needed to pivot and change how we do things in this age of physical distancing. The biggest concern for our instructors was: how do you turn an outdoor, environmental service learning class into a virtual experience? Lucky for CI, experiential… Read more »
After an exciting week of greenhouse building and participating in the climate march, New Vista High School’s CAP class completed their second outdoor trip of the semester with a backpacking excursion near Allenspark, CO. The group participated in a service project with City of Boulder assisting with some landscaping and grounds maintenance at Wonderland Lake… Read more »
Learning Edge… Students are challenged to find and dance along their learning edge as part of the CAP class at New Vista High School. It’s that moment when you get butterflies in your stomach, and then, when you finally accomplish the task, you feel a great sense of accomplishment. It may be preparing for the… Read more »
Did you know that native bees live in solitary “apartments” instead of bee hives? Or that plastic caps can now be recycled in Boulder as long as they are attached to empty bottles? Or that fashion industry “trends” are really just a ploy to get you to buy new clothes when you have perfectly good… Read more »
