Cottonwood Institute Founder and Executive Director Receives the Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award from the Garden Club of America in 2026 Just before the annual Bash Camp Bash event began on April 11, 2026, Ford Church, Founder and Executive Director of Cottonwood Institute, received a surprise honor from the Garden Club of America. One of the… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute is Proud to Announce that We Have Been Awarded the Unique Distinction as a Colorado Water Education Exemplar for 2026! What is it? This distinction is given by the Colorado Watershed Assembly to recognize local programs that offer objectively exceptional education about Colorado’s water using the Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education. These… Read more »
Our Headlamp Highlights Shine a Light on the People and Organizations that Help our Cottonwood Community Thrive. Meet Board Member Alyssa. We are excited to highlight our Cottonwood Institute (CI) Board Member, Alyssa Ash, who has been on the CI Board since February 2026. Read on to learn more about Alyssa! Introduce yourself to the… 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 »
Colorado will be marking the 150th anniversary of our entrance into the Union. As the Centennial State, Colorado is the only state to observe twin anniversaries. Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) commemorates this milestone with the Creative Capitol Colorado’s Fourteeners Exhibition showcasing the natural beauty of Colorado’s unique landscape with an exhibition of prints of 53… Read more »
Our Winter Training Brought Staff to Brainard Lake for Snow Shelters, Wilderness Medicine Scenarios, and Joyful Learning in Winter Conditions Written by CI Field Instructor Hailey Schmidt. Cottonwood Institute staff kicked off 2026 with a chilly and fun-filled winter training. Though the wintery weather has been lacking in the front range this season, we were… Read more »
We Are All Changemakers; Knowingly or Unknowingly, the Effects of Our Actions Ripple out, Changing the World in Large and Small Ways Each Day. Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. Every year since 2013 at the Base Camp Bash, Cottonwood Institute has recognized students from our Community Adventure Program (CAP) classes who demonstrate leadership,… Read more »
The holiday gift-giving season is upon us, so we wanted to share a few ways to gift to your loved ones in an environmentally conscious way. Your time, energy, and creativity are just as valued as a store-bought gift. Give Pre-loved Items Join your local Buy Nothing group to find gently used items like books,… Read more »
A Night of Habitat Restoration Work Became a Tribute to Chelsea’s Time at Cottonwood. Written by New Vista CAP Instructor Lori Powell. Cottonwood staff, instructors, board members, Changemaker students, and Alumni recently gathered on an unseasonably warm November evening to take action for local habitat restoration—and to share a heartfelt farewell to Associate Director Chelsea… Read more »
