Twenty-eight years ago, two visionary Colorado College professors saw a local need for connecting kids with the outdoors. Married couple Howard Drossman and Julie Francis, both environmental educators, set out intending to volunteer for a preexisting nonprofit – but they didn’t find one that connected children with nature. As a result, the pair developed the Catamount Institute, providing outdoor education, adventure and meaningful experiences for school-aged kids.
Autumn McMullen is the lead environmental educator at the Catamount Institute. This is her second year working for the nonprofit helping young people develop an appreciation for the outdoors.
“The best part of working with our campers has to be seeing them come away with a sense of being surrounded by nature,” she says.
McMullen says she can point out a bird in a tree to her day campers, and the following day, kids will return to camp and share that the same type of bird lives in their backyard. McMullen is part of a team of camp leaders with backgrounds in elementary education and the environment.
In Colorado Springs, Catamount Institute day camps take place at Sondermann Park (740 W. Caramillo St.). While these day camps are full with a lengthy waitlist for the 2025 summer season, there is still availability at the Mountain Campus in Woodland Park (3168 Co Rd 28).
Spanning well over 100 acres, Catamount Institute’s website says the property “features trails, lakes, forests, and open fields, along with the infrastructure needed to safely and comfortably host youth groups of all ages.”
Catamount Institute Executive Director Maury Peterson is thrilled about the new offer ings at the Mountain Campus. “This is an exciting new development, on an absolutely beautiful property, and we were a little bit late advertising it,” she said.
Peterson shares that last year Catamount Institute served 5,824 kids. “These are all kids from the Pikes Peak Region,” she adds. The nonprofit leader already has plans for fall programming at the Mountain Campus. Beyond summer, Catamount Institute continues getting kids outdoors through school enrichment, field trips and free homeschool enrichment programs. Donations are important for the organization; Peterson reports they raised enough donations to cover 51 scholarships.
The Mountain Campus day camp has availability for camps with the starting dates of June 16, July 7 and July 14. Camps are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekly pricing begins at $375; scholarships may be available to those who qualify. More information and registration at CatamountInstitute.org.
