Wilderness Wisdom
By Jordan Stone, Executive Director, Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions I first arrived at Cottonwood Gulch in 2007 as a road cook for our Prairie Trek expedition. That summer job, so long ago now, became a calling that has spanned nearly two decades, culminating in my leadership during our centennial year. Now, each day, working as the…
Parents searching for the right summer experience for their children often face a difficult balance. They want a program that delivers real growth—confidence, independence, friendship, and connection to nature—while fitting within their family’s budget. At Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, our model of sliding scale tuition outdoor programs, known as “Pick Your Price,” was created to help…
The fact is, research supports the socialization in outdoor learning programs during a child’s formative years. Even the most loving and attentive parents sometimes forget the importance of early childhood socialization away from home. Parents want the best for their children’s social and emotional growth. While home provides essential love and security, it’s also crucial…
For many families, finding the right summer program for children or teens involves balancing two important questions, insofar as finding an affordable summer program for kids: Will this be a meaningful experience? And can we realistically afford it? At Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, accessibility has long been part of the answer. Through a combination of sliding scale…
Leadership is often talked about in classrooms, sports teams, and extracurricular activities. What’s often left out of the conversation is how leadership wilderness programs for teens helps them become tomorrow’s leaders. Some of the most meaningful leadership lessons happen far from screens, schedules, and everyday routines. They happen while navigating a trail with a group.…
Today’s children and teens are growing up in a world that is more connected than ever before. In many ways this affords them advantages in learning and exposure to a world of far greater scale than their forebears. But, there’s also a downside to this all-encompassing digital reality. For this reason we feel Cottonwood’s Summer…
Whispering to myself, “Red in the shed and follow Fred,” I’m standing in a narrow strip of woods as a middle school student trying to master the art and science of using a compass. I remember thinking 1. This is impossible and 2. What will I possibly use this for? Turns out that as an…