Join Us for Our 3rd Annual Ancestral Skills Gathering on April 25, 2026!
Written by Erin Angel, CI Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. On a bright fall day, students from our Changemakers Outdoor Leadership Corps were waiting for a shuttle during a backpacking trip in the Rockies. To pass the time, their instructor taught them how to make cordage from the grasses growing around them. On that same trip, students painstakingly carved beautiful, functional spoons from a downed branch to eat their dinner. On that jewel of a trip, what shined brightest was the connection they felt to the Earth, each other, and all who came before them while they were doing these ancestral skills.
During the months to come, that group of students sought more and more of these rewarding skills that made them feel so connected and fulfilled. They decided that their mission was to share these skills and the connections they bring with people who had little access to that type of learning. The Cottonwood Ancestral Skills Gathering was born. Now, three years later, we are still on that mission.
This year’s gathering will be on April 25th, 2026 at Ollin Farms in Longmont. Recognizing that not everyone can take off work or school for an extended period, the gathering is just one experience-packed day from 10am-6pm. All skills levels, from master to never-picked-up-a-knife, are welcomed, and Spanish translation is available. Ollin Farms is on the regional bus line, and admission is free.
Sign up for the Cottonwood Ancestral Skills Gathering here.
See you in April!
