More Than 100 Participants Gathered to Learn Traditional Skills, Connect with Nature, and Strengthen Community Connections. Written by Kira Gilliland, Changemaker Alum. Over the past couple of years, our Ancestral Skills Gathering has had a meaningful impact within our small community. This year, however, we wanted to make it even bigger and better. The 3rd… Read more »
Spring Training Provided the Opportunity for Cottonwood Instructors to Stay Sharp, Confident, and Ready to Lead Meaningful Outdoor Experiences Written by Harmony Esqueda, AXL Academy CAP Instructor & Social Media Coordinator. Every Spring, Cottonwood Instructors gather for a weekend-long training to learn new skills, games, and activities together. In order to deliver top notch programs… Read more »
The Base Camp Bash 2026 was an Evening Full of Connection, Generosity, and Celebration On April 11, 2026, the Cottonwood community gathered once again at Upper Larimer in Denver for our 21st Annual Base Camp Bash, an unforgettable evening of celebration, connection, and impact. Building on last year’s milestone celebration, the Bash 2026 brought together… Read more »
What It Takes to Sleep in Quinzees: A Changemakers Backcountry Journey of Grit, Snow, and Self-Reliance Written by Erin Angel, CI Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. Smile and say “Quinzeeeeee!” Changemakers Outdoor Leadership Corps were all smiles when they finally finished building their quinzees in time to scarf down a late dinner and crawl… Read more »
The Spring Break Hike was Full of Friendship, Snow Surprises, and Reconnecting with Inspiring Changemakers Alumni Written by Erin Angel, CI Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. Our Changemakers Alumni are such cool people. We kicked off our spring break kickoff (see those double kicks?) by going from person to person and getting 2-minute updates… Read more »
Winter Trimester was Filled with Resilience, Discovery, and Student-Led Impact in the Outdoors for AXL Academy CAP Class Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy Middle Schoolers enjoyed a CAP Winter Trimester full of service projects and adventures that challenged students outside of their comfort zone. We kicked off our trimester with a… Read more »
The “Purple Elephant” Crew Navigated Tricky Routes, Found Perfect Canyon Campsites, and Mastered the Bear Hang on their Backpacking Trip Written by Maeve O’Meara, CI Director of Operations & People. The Peak to Peak Charter School group who called themselves the Purple Elephants set out from the trailhead on Wednesday afternoon with a clear mission:… Read more »
Canyon Backpacking with the “Collard Greens” Group: Fishing, Fire-Building & Rockfruit Discoveries in Dominguez Canyon Written by CI Field Instructor Shawn Heyland. The Collard Greens group from Peak to Peak Charter School set out on our canyon backpacking adventure on Wednesday afternoon from the Dominguez Canyon Trailhead. Our designated route would take us from the… Read more »
The Peak to Peak Charter School Group Dubbed the “Big Blue Booty Bears” Enjoyed Some Backcountry Magic: An Adventure Full of Teamwork, Silly Skits, and Unexpected Moments. Written by Erin Angel, CI Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. The Big Blue Booty Bears group from Peak to Peak Charter School set off toward Big Dominguez… Read more »
Hands-On Snow Research and Real-World Data Collection Bring Climate Literacy to Life for Students in Colorado’s Winter Landscape Written by CI Field Instructor Shawn Heyland. On a quest to find snow and learn about the impact climate change is having on our winters in Colorado, a class from Apex School in Boulder set out on… Read more »
