Cottonwood Alumni Mix Laughter, Labor, and a Little Mud While Building Beaver Dam Analogs at Caribou Ranch. Written by CI Senior Instructor Erin Angel. “This is exactly where I am supposed to be. I’m in the middle of midterms, and this is just what I needed.” -Cottonwood Alumna gazing at golden aspens after working hard… Read more »
Read Our Top 10 End-of-Year Suggestions to Help Cottonwood Unlock a $25,000 Match to Support Award-Winning Programs. As we wrap up 2025 and dream about what the future holds, I am incredibly grateful for our Cottonwood Institute community of students, parents, program partners, staff, instructors, donors, sponsors, and funders who have supported us the past… Read more »
From Sudden Storms to Sunshine and From Root Veggies to Flower Fields, Our Miller Farms Harvesting Adventure was Everything We Hoped For—and More! Written by CI Senior Instructor Erin Angel. The students from Lafayette Explore Outside (LEO) spent a gorgeous Colorado day harvesting vegetables and playing outside at Miller Farms on our very first trip… Read more »
At Cottonwood Institute, we believe in fostering the next generation of changemakers, which is why action projects are a crucial component to our CAP (Community Adventure Program) classes. These projects are hands-on initiatives where students identify an environmental issue they care about and work together to lead meaningful activities with local impact. CAP fosters leadership,… Read more »
From Donuts to Donations: A Recipe for Student Engagement. Written by New Vista CAP Instructor Lori Powell. As the Fall CAP class at New Vista High School wrapped up, students shifted from learning about environmental issues to taking action. After brainstorming a range of ideas—from wildfires and floods to sustainable agriculture and water use—one topic… Read more »
From Fire-Making to Folklore, AXL 7th Grade Students Experience the Magic of their First Time Camping. Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy 7th graders prepped nervously leading up to their overnight CAP trip, asking many questions about tents, wildlife, trip location, etc. We practiced how to set up tents in class and students… Read more »
From Whittling Spoons to Planting Trees, Students Built Skills and Memories in the Colorado Foothills. Written by CI Field Instructor David Goldsmith. Our latest overnight adventure began at New Vista High School, where excitement buzzed as students gathered their gear and met the instructors who would guide us through the trip. After piling into the… Read more »
AXL Students Appreciate Opportunities for “Turning Over a New Leaf” During their Overnight Camping Trip at Cheley. Written by CI Field Instructor Monique Murillo. Stirring with nervous excitement, Ms. Esqueda’s AXL Academy 8th-grade CAP class students gathered around to prepare for their overnight trip, checking gear and playing a few games in front of the… Read more »
AXL 7th Graders Get Hands-On with Skulls, Skins, and Pond Critters at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Written by CI Field Instructor Shawn Heyland. The plan for Ms. E’s 7th-grade AXL trip was to head out into nearby nature to learn about wildlife in a fun, engaging way. We visited Golden Gate Canyon State Park… Read more »
From Anxious First Steps to Triumphant High-Fives, AXL 8th Graders Discovered their Inner Strength on the Vertical Rock. Written by CI Field Instructor Shawn Heyland. Rock climbing isn’t for the faint of heart, and Ms. E’s 8th-grade AXL CAP class showed up at school on Friday with bravery and resilience. The goal for the day… Read more »
