Ecological and Agricultural Immersion Program
Outdoor Nature Based Learning
The Ecological Immersion Program at Cottonwood Restoration offers a transformative, hands-on learning experience that connects youth and community members with the living systems of our high-altitude Rocky Mountain landscape through regenerative agriculture and ecological stewardship.
Participants engage in year-round outdoor classrooms focused on soil regeneration, watershed restoration, permaculture design, and immersive nature-based exploration. They develop practical skills in growing nutrient-dense food, food as medicine, holistic land management, and sustainable farming practices — all while cultivating a deep respect and reverence for the natural world.
Our campus serves as a living laboratory for real-world science, biology, ecology, and experiential learning. Located in Crestone at the gateway to Cottonwood Canyon, the program sits surrounded by breathtaking trails leading to Cottonwood Lake and the dramatic peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Greenhouse Classroom
Market Garden & Food as Medicine
Our 800 sq ft hoop house is the heart of hands-on nutrition and regenerative agriculture education. Fully operational for the 2026 growing season, this climate-controlled space is being meticulously planned as a productive market garden designed to provide fresh, nutrient-dense food for participant families.
Participants learn:
- Permaculture principles through active design and implementation
- Nutrition and food as medicine – growing nutrient-rich greens, herbs, roots, and medicinals
- Sustainable growing techniques suited to our 8,300+ ft elevation
- Hyper Local Distribution and Food Security
From seed starting to harvest and preservation, students will experience the full cycle of food production, building food security and self-reliance in our rural, high-desert environment.
Food Forest Classroom
Perennial Abundance & Holistic Healing
The Food Forest Classroom is our open-air, hands-in learning lab – a dynamic, evolving ecosystem focused on perennial edibles, medicinals, and regenerative design.
For the 2026 growing season, we are laying the foundation by planting:
- Fruit tree guilds for resilient, low-maintenance food production
- Medicinal shrubs and berries abundant in healing properties
- A diverse understory of perennial edibles and herbal medicinals
Emphasis on food as medicine and holistic herbal healing, participants will explore plant identification, traditional uses, wildcrafting ethics, and the creation of remedies from the land. This space supports year-round learning – from winter observation and planning to spring planting, summer tending, and fall harvesting.
Students will actively participate in every stage: designing layouts, selecting species, installing guilds, and maintaining the system – turning theory into lived experience.
Eco-Restoration Collaboration
Ecological Restoration Healing Cottonwood Creek
In partnership with E3KFM, we are leading hands-on ecological restoration along our campus stretch of Cottonwood Creek.
Students actively participate in regenerative agricultural and watershed practices, including:
- Watershed management and riparian zone cultivation
- Indigenous fire mitigation practices, including cultural burning and fuel reduction
- Beaver reintroduction strategies for natural ecosystem engineering
- Elemental studies (earth, water, fire, air) and holistic land stewardship
Through these collaborative efforts, participants gain a deep understanding of interconnected living systems, build climate resilience, and learn to heal the land using intentional, nature-based practices rooted in regenerative agriculture and traditional ecological knowledge.
Immersive Outdoor Learning in Cottonwood Canyon
Base Camp Exploration: Cottonwood Canyon and Beyond
Our location at the base of the Crestone Needle makes Cottonwood Restoration the ideal base camp for immersive outdoor learning. Students venture into Cottonwood Canyon and the surrounding trails for:
- Backcountry hiking and field excursions
- Deepening knowledge of the unique Sangre de Cristo landscape through ecological observation and regenerative practices
- Conservation and stewardship activities in alpine and subalpine zones
- Promoting mind-body fitness through nature immersion and physical challenges rooted in land connection
These experiences build resilience, sharpen observation skills, foster ecological awareness, and cultivate a profound connection to place.
Become a Sponsor
We are actively seeking visionary sponsors and strategic partners to help bring our regenerative campus vision to life.
Support for Cottonwood Restoration will directly fund the development of our greenhouse and food forest classrooms, kitchen classroom, primal camp areas, sustainable infrastructure, and expanded programming for youth and community members.
Partners and sponsors will play a vital role in advancing regenerative agriculture, ecological restoration, land stewardship education, and youth empowerment in the Crestone area.