Cottonwood Institute

We had a ribbiting time fishing and exploring the ponds at St. Vrain State Park!

Not only did we see ospreys, pelicans, and great blue herons, but AXL Academy middle schoolers also found a frog during our macroinvertebrates lesson.

They watched and waited patiently for the frog to hop into their bucket and then gently released it back into the water afterwards.

We're excited to see you next week at Mothapalooza!

Join us for a free event to learn about moths and nighttime ecosystems, hear from a guest expert, and observe moths up close at illuminated viewing stations!

🗓️ June 4, 2026
⏰ 7:30–9:30 PM
📍Beech Shelter, Beech Trail, Longmont, CO 80503

Thank you DarkSky Colorado, People and Pollinators Action Network, and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History for collaborating to make Mothapalooza possible!

Learn more and register for Mothapalooza here: https://ow.ly/XO7E50Z1qbs

We made native wildflower seed bombs!!

AXL Academy middle schoolers learned about the importance of native plants and pollinators. They made over 100 seed bombs to distribute for free to families in Aurora!

What are you planting this Spring?

“I’m on top of the woooooorld!” one student exclaimed after climbing up a large hill and admiring the vast view from atop.

In between games, Angevine middle schoolers whittled and whittled and whittled away.

Get the full story here: https://ow.ly/70r650Z2Yot

The look of pure joy when you catch your first fish! 🎣

Angevine middle schoolers made new memories as a CAP class, fishing at Waneka Lake, whittling, and exploring trees before heading to our overnight at Camp Patiya in Boulder.

Stay tuned to learn more about the rest of our camping trip...

Or get a sneak peak here: https://www.cottonwoodinstitute.org/program-news/joy-in-the-hills-angevine-overnight/

We are still amazed by the incredible turn out of our 3rd Annual Cottonwood Ancestral Skills Gathering!

This event brought together people from across Colorado and beyond for a day of learning and community connections at Ollin Farms!

Thank you again to all the instructors and volunteers who made this event so successful:

Mark and Darla from Warp and Woolens, Jane from the Handweavers Guild of Boulder, Staci from Fashion REBELution, Kira White from Boulder Forest Therapy, Linda at Bolder Felt LLC, Henry from the Longmont Museum, Ken Wee, Chris Beacom (all the way from Austin!), Kristina McCurdy, Flora Wolf, Tony Zimmerman, Luke VanHorne, Ryan Copeland, and all the Changemakers, Alumni, and Cottonwood staff who taught classes and helped with everything!

Check out our Skills Gathering blog post: https://www.cottonwoodinstitute.org/upcoming-events/community-connections-ancestral-skills/

Succulents and morning glories galore!

New Vista CAP students spent their field day at Ollin Farms in Longmont, planting and playing games along the creek.

Swipe to see a surprise soil creature…

Check out the full story on our blog: https://ow.ly/ucW550Z1UK3

Join us for a free event to learn about moths and nighttime ecosystems, hear from a guest expert, and observe moths up close at illuminated viewing stations!

🗓️ June 4, 2026
⏰ 7:30–9:30 PM
📍Beech Shelter, Beech Trail, Longmont, CO 80503

Thank you DarkSky Colorado, People and Pollinators Action Network, and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History for collaborating to make Mothapalooza possible!

Learn more and register for Mothapalooza here: https://ow.ly/XO7E50Z1qbs

Middle schoolers enjoyed the inaugural Kids Heart Day Challenge at AXL Academy ! Activities included mini golf, bowling, tug-of-war, balloon tennis, and so much more.

Can you guess what AXL Academy middle schoolers got up to at the Barr Lake State Park Nature Center?

We spent the beginning of our overnight camping trip fishing at Barr Lake and had a blast exploring the Nature Center full of costumes like snakes, spiders, fish and more…

Stay tuned for a blog post coming soon!