Nature Connection Grows for Lafayette Youth through Shared Outdoor Experiences During the Lafayette Explore Outside Program
Written by Erin Angel, Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. What do you get when you bring a group of Lafayette youth (middle school students) together for outdoor adventures, new experiences, plenty of laughter, and a little bit of muddy fun? You get Lafayette Explore Outside (LEO)!
This exciting new Cottonwood Institute program brings a small group of Lafayette-area middle school students together twice a month to explore, learn, play, and build connections. Through hands-on workshops and outdoor adventures, students are discovering new places, trying things they’ve never done before, and learning that adventure can happen right in their own backyard.
And if the adventures from 2025-26 are any indication, LEO is off to an amazing start!
Fall Fun with Lafayette Youth Exploring Outside
LEO kicked off with an adventure in Coal Creek. We spent the first meeting playing in the creek and collecting crawfish, minnows and macroinvertebrates. Adults usually tell kids to stay dry and not get dirty, but Cottonwood Instructors encourage adventure, even if it’s muddy.
Our first day-long trip was a cold, but very fun, day at Miller Farms. As soon as the group arrived, dark clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and everyone huddled together against the unexpected chill. While Instructor Hailey made a quick trip back for extra layers, the group turned the weather delay into an impromptu game of Imposter. Soon enough, the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and it was time to explore.
Our driver, Luis, led the group on a hayride through the farm, sharing his knowledge and showing students how to harvest vegetables straight from the soil. Students dug up carrots, onions, and leeks and enjoyed chatting with Luis in Spanish and asking questions along the way.
Before long, the hay wagon was overflowing with sweet corn, popcorn, beets, kale, flowers, tomatoes, eggplant, basil, and peppers. A special moment happened in the flower field: the group became quiet and thoughtful as everyone carefully selected and arranged bouquets of zinnias and marigolds to take home. It was magical to see all of these gorgeous flowers and then get to pick whatever we wanted. It was a peaceful reminder that outdoor adventures don’t always have to be loud or fast-paced. Sometimes the best moments are the quiet ones.
Enjoying Winter Wonderlands
LEO fun doesn’t stop when the weather gets colder! In November, our group of Lafayette youth headed to Golden Ponds in Longmont for a day of fishing and birding. For some students, fishing was completely new. The group learned the basics of casting, spent time along the ponds, and watched the incredible bird life. Students also explored the world of local birds by playing Jays and Juncos, learning more about the wildlife that shares these outdoor spaces with us while having fun.
One of the things that makes LEO special is that outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. During our fishing trip to Golden Ponds adventure, students took time to clean up discarded fishing line around the ponds. What might seem like a small piece of trash can be dangerous for birds and other wildlife, so the group worked together to remove fishing line from branches, driftwood, shrubs, and even hard-to-reach spots near the water.
It was a simple but meaningful way for students to give something back to a place they had just spent the day enjoying. That’s what we love about LEO: students aren’t just exploring the outdoors—they’re learning to care for it.
During the holidays, our students and instructors got together to make sustainable gifts for our families and friends. We recycled candles into new candles and packaged chocolate mint grown in one of the instructor’s gardens into reusable tea bags to give to our moms. We also played ridiculous games with Oreos.
In January, we spent a beach(!) day at Barr Lake State Park. We started off being greeted by the amazing bilingual rangers at the park who taught us the finer points of archery. The LEO students are naturals at shooting! We quickly progressed to harder and more challenging targets until our tummies started growling and it was time to go to the beach for a picnic. The day was chilly but sunny, so it was really pleasant to sit and chat over lunch and then go exploring for animal tracks.
Lafayette Youth Join Spring Skills Gathering
Our LEO program finale brought students together for a day of hands-on learning and connection at the Cottonwood Ancestral Skills Gathering in May. After a season of outdoor adventures and environmental learning, it was the perfect way to wrap up the program by trying new skills and learning from experienced instructors.
Students explored a variety of traditional skills, including building shelters with natural materials, creating natural dyes for fabric, and learning the art of wet felting. Some students took on the challenge of using a shepherd’s sling, while others discovered new ways to work with natural materials and resources. Throughout the day, big group games brought plenty of energy, laughter, and opportunities to connect.
By the end of the gathering, students left feeling tired but accomplished, proud of the new skills they had learned and the challenges they had taken on. It was a fitting finale to a season of exploration, learning, and building connections with one another and the natural world.
Building a Community, One Youth Adventure at a Time
LEO is about much more than harvesting vegetables, navigating corn mazes, casting fishing lines, or identifying birds. It’s about creating a space where students can show up as themselves, try something new, and discover that they are capable of more than they might have expected.
It’s about the student who has never fished before picking up a rod and giving it a try.
It’s about digging a carrot out of the ground and realizing that food doesn’t just magically appear at the grocery store.
It’s about racing through a corn maze, laughing through a new game, or sitting quietly in a flower field with a bouquet in your hands.
And it’s about students who may have arrived not knowing one another very well leaving with new friendships, shared stories, and a growing sense of belonging.
And We’re Just Getting Started!
The first LEO adventures have already given students plenty of opportunities to explore, connect, play, learn, and give back. But this is just the beginning.
We’re excited to see where these young explorers go next, and what they will discover about themselves, each other, and the natural world along the way.
A huge thank you to the funders and supporters that make the LEO program possible, including: Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, Patagonia, PeyBack Foundation, Strear Family Foundation, Thorne Nature Experience, Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program and the Xcel Energy Foundation.
Here’s to more adventures, more laughter, more muddy shoes, and plenty more time exploring outside!
If you’re also passionate about getting students outdoors for learning through adventure, please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly donor! You’ll help invest in our students, programs, and long-term sustainability and success!
