FRIENDS OF SCHOOL IN THE WOODS
Established 2024
Join us for the annual Gathering – May 10, 12:00-2:30!
We are moving forward in 2025
as we build on our first year’s successes.
Committed to sustaining SITW and preserving the land
Plan ahead!
26th SITW Year
Gathering
(Previous known as Reunion)
Date: Saturday,
May 10, 2025
12:00 – 2:30
Become a FRIEND of SITW today!
Donate $25.00 and become a supporting FRIEND for a year! These donations support our mission and plans for land preservation.
Send a check to – Friends of SITW, 1211 N 31st St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904
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Our Giving Zones
Our 501c3ย has been established to help support the SITW programming, campus needs, and land preservation The primary purpose of these funds is to preserve presently-leased land surrounding School in the Woods.
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We offer six โzonesโ of giving, reflecting the six beautiful ecosystems found in our Pikes Peak region:
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- Riparian Zone: $1.00-$49.00
- Grasslands Zone: $50.00-$149.00
- Montane Shrubland Zone: $150.00-$499.00
- Montane Forest Zone: $500.00-$999.00
- Subalpine Forest Zone: $1000.00 – $4999.00
- Alpine Tundra Zone:ย $5000.00 and above
About Us
The mission of Friends of SITW is to support and sustain SITW programming, its campus, and the surrounding state land currently being used by the school.
The early years...
20 years after we started
Founders: Jonathan Wuerth and Carol Stansfield
Our January 2025, Friends Field Notes- get the latest exciting FOSITW News! – HERE
School in the Woods Alumni Bios
๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Rachel Haldorson
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ: 2012-2013
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Great Horned Owl Class
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: I am a Junior at Colorado State University and my major is Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. I am also getting a minor in Entomology. I am the Vice President of the Entomology Club and also the Outreach Coordinator for the club. We visit schools and work at public events to teach the public about invertebrates.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ: The Spring Field Project of Terrestrial Invertebrates ignited my passion for invertebrates and the natural world. Wikitown had a big impact and helped bolster my creativity. It helped me see things in a different light. It helped me learn how we are interconnected with nature.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: All of it! It was all so much fun. The overnight stands out as a coming of age, to get to stay overnight, outside, without parents.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐: connect kids with nature.
๐๐๐ฆ๐: Miranda Lanning
๐๐๐๐ซ: 2002
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐: Porcupine Class
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: Miranda now lives in North Carolina and works as a Site Planner to design public school outdoor spaces (playgrounds, sports fields, sidewalks, etc). She has also worked as a 6th Grade Science Teacher, Camp Director, Outdoor Educator, Child Health Consultant, Backpacking Guide, Lifeguard, Rock Climbing Instructor, and a whole host of other outdoor-based jobs. When not working she is out hiking with her 2 dogs, kayaking in a lake, creating wood art, or biking.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐: I can trace my life direction back to my time at School in the Woods. It instilled in me a passion for being outdoors and gives me a unique background for the work I have done in public education. I also made my best friend Katie Wyckoff (Katydid) that year and we have remained close ever since.
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ: I have vivid flashes of the pond, hikes looking for critters to catalog in my Entomology Spring Field Project, my mug hanging on the wall (my mom still uses it), our bags of clothes to change into when ours got too dirty, the library bus, my dad helping build the outdoor auditorium, hearing Native American Stories for the first time, etc. It is the year of school I have the most memories of and cherish to this day.
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: Inspire Naturalists.
๐๐๐ฆ๐: Katie Wyckoff
๐๐๐๐ซ: 2002-2003
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐: Porcupine Class
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: I currently live in Missouri state with my family and dog. Over the past three years I have been working to build my businesses. I currently own a social media management company and then summer I am launching my online store called Grace and Hope Collection. Before that I worked as an after school Theatre teacher, director, and registered behavioral therapist. I love to fill my life with adventures (traveling, hiking, new experiences), reading, picking up a craft, and spending a lot of time at the library.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐: School in the woods provided some of the fondest memories I have from childhood. I made my best friend, Miranda Lanning, and we are still best friends 20 years later! It helped me to build my confidence and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I loved that we got to be outside all the time, giving us the opportunity to be kids and learn from the world around us.
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ: Honestly I have so many special memories from that time. Mr. Worth (Yes, I know itโs Wuerth but he told us that we could call him Mr. Worth, Mr. World, but not Mr. Worthless) was one of the kindest teachers that genuinely wanted us to learn about the world and he took time to get to know every single one of his students. During our year, we got to put up the Tipi and I remember being so excited about it going up and getting to christen it with sage, song, and story. One of the activities that year was we got to compete in a story telling competition and I won. It was actually one of the reasons I went into Theatre.
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๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: Let children be children! Allow them to get outdoors, run around, get off of screens and computers, and just become one with nature.
๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Sarah Winter
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ: 2002-2003
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Porcupine Class
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Sarah is currently working as a school social worker in a French immersion elementary school in Denver. She has also worked as a housing case manager, a program manager for a non-profit focused on immigration justice, and a labor organizer for a union. When not working, she loves to hike with her boyfriend and her pitbull/lab mix Otis, hang out in/stroll the great public parks in Denver, cook, and read.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ: SITW instilled a deep love of and connection to nature in my life. Her brother, Adam Winter, also attended in 2001-2002 and later passed away in 2015. The sudden and unexpected loss of her brother was heartbreaking and very jarring, but spending time outside appreciating the great outdoors has been a significant source of comfort and joy.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: She will always remember the overnight, pizza fridays, weaving pine needle baskets, and working on her spring project about Ponderosa Pines.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐: Promote and sustain community among naturalists
๐๐๐ฆ๐: Elisa Heide (formerly Wilson)
๐๐๐๐ซ: 2003-2004
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐: Ponderosa Pine class
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: I have recently transitioned from a role as an academic advisor/pre-professional coordinator into a role at home with my kids. Iโve spent the last 6 years helping college students find their path as undeclared majors or as students pursuing health or law professions.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐: SITW was a family legacy of ours. Both of my brothers attended the first two years and my mom was a student teacher while I was there. We loved the land there and it helped us grow as a family and as people who enjoy time spent outside. For me personally, it inspired a desire to learn more about organisms and I loved every biology and zoology class I was able to take in high school and college. Though my career led me down a different path, I majored in biology because of what I learned about living things at SITW.
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ: While everyone was making wiki-ups, me and a few friends found some pieces of the forest that allowed us to make a band, so that we could make some music. Was it good music? Maybe not, but you bet we hit those drums like it didnโt matter!
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: get students to explore, in doing so, then explore who they are and what excited them.
๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Moriah Nelson
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ: 2004-2005
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Coyote class
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Currently the Lead Planner and Event Manager for @jaybirdevents, a non-profit social enterprise focused on eco – friendly wedding and event planning. I love the wedding and events industry but there is just so much waste! Everyone can have a beautiful and meaningful event without hurting our great planet in the process. When Iโm not planning events Iโm spending time outside near a body of water or snuggling with my cat Smokey.
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ: Being at school in the woods planted a seed in my brain to think about everything I do like a naturalist would. Whether itโs driving a hybrid (or riding my new e-bike!) or taking my recycles to the county recycling center because my apartment doesnโt collect recycling, everything I do comes along with that
mentality.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: Aside from the fact that I am still friends with several of my classmates, I will always remember learning about and being inspired by the female naturalist Rachel Carson!
๐๐๐ฆ๐: Jake DeGaray
๐๐๐๐ซ: 2010-2011
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐: Golden Eagle Class
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: Working for Amazon and doing photography work on the side
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐: SITW gave me an appreciation for nature and people that I never had before. As well as learning to work hard and enjoy my surroundings!
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ: A fond memory I have is when was attempting to build my own wikiup I had difficulty finding branches and setup. One day Mr. Wuerth brought me lots of large branches from a tree that needed pruning and helped me assemble my own little wikiup hut! It was small and hastily built but I never forgot the kindness Mr. Wuerth did for me!
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: Be able to teach and help kids learn the wonders of Black Forest! Itโs a life changing experience that everyone should be able to have a chance at!
๐๐๐ฆ๐: Darby Behnken
๐๐๐๐ซ: 2012-2013
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐: Great horned owls
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: Iโm a software engineer for a DOD Contracting company
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐: Constantly reminding me to find the beauty in everything
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ: Making hot chocolate in my SITW mug every morning in the winter
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: Foster curiosity
๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Nate Phillips
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ: 2010-2011
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Golden Eagle Class
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: I am currently a second-year DVM student at Colorado State University and am pursuing a career in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. I have had the chance to work with some amazing animals and incredible people on my journey so far, and I look forward to continuing that in the future. Besides wildlife, I have a passion for football, painting, writing, and spending time in nature (although that generally involves looking for wildlife 
I was able to start on the offensive line at Cornell College all four years of my undergrad while earning an incredible education- it’s one of my proudest accomplishments!
I was able to start on the offensive line at Cornell College all four years of my undergrad while earning an incredible education- it’s one of my proudest accomplishments!๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ: School in the Woods helped to foster my interest and passion for the natural world. Experiences like talking to CPW during spring field projects, spending time at solo spots, and the overnight made a profound impact and helped give me confidence both in nature and in myself. I also love sharing some of the knowledge I learned during my time there (especially the scent of ponderosa pines between the bark).
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: Finding black bear scat during a hike was awesome! Although my class will forever be known as the Golden Eagle class, I still remember lobbying to become the Black Bear Class.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐: Serve as a reminder of how valuable nature is and inspire the next generation of leaders, conservationists, and naturalists. Keep wandering!
๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Sophie Braker
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ: 2007-2008
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Tiger Salamander Class
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Sophie works as an administrative assistant at Colorado College. She previously worked for a food industry podcast and in a past life went to pastry school. Sophie loves to read, knit (including hats for SITW students), and hang out with her dachshund Massimo. She was a member of the Friends of School in the Woods board.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ: School in the Woods taught me so much about empathy and connection to the world around you. I was already a big animal lover, but I became really passionate about the environment and protecting wild spaces. I developed lifelong friendships with so many kids in my class.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: I have so many special memories. The field trip up Pikes Peak, joining the wikiup theatre performance, and seeing a porcupette (baby porcupine) on the perimeter hike were highlights.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐: be a safe space for students to grow their curiosity and wonder at the natural world around us.
๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Eric Schlabs
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ: 2001-2002
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: Abert’s Squirrel
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: I’m living in Brooklyn, New York, and working as an intellectual property lawyer. I just married my husband and enjoy exploring the city’s parks, gardening in our balcony and community garden plots, catching live music, participating in a spirited book club, and keeping up with local politics (where the real change happens).
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ: Among my two full decades of formal education, my year at School in the Woods was the most memorable and impactful. My time on the property taught me that education expands far beyond the walls of a classroom; my spring field project (wildflowers) gave me a thirst for knowledge and a passion for harnessing the vast into the digestible; my solo spot taught me the value of stillness, reflection, and presence; learning about ecosystems taught me about the interconnectedness and fragility of our world and gave me a sense of stewardship; and Mr. Wuerth and Mrs. Stansfield showed me it’s a possible to build a life and career aligned with my values and interests, even when it might not seem possible. I might live in the big city now, but I carry my SITW experience with me every day, living sustainably and getting outside as often as I can.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: Tracking. Other years, I crossed my fingers that fresh snow meant a snow day, or at least a two hour delay, but at SITW, it meant postponing the morning lesson, searching for signs of life in the cold, taking off our wet boots, and warming up in the trailer.
๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ช ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐: Stay where it is. I was so thrilled to see the construction of a permanent building, because it meant that SITW is here to stay, and future generations will earn a stake in caring for the property and taking that sense of ownership and connection with them for life. Keep wandering!
Naturalist Alumni Share in Interviews
School as Family
Abi Seidenberg โ SITW Kinnikinnick Class of 2014
As Jon Wuerth states, “Abi has always maintained a connection to SITW. I admire her for putting herself out there and taking risks outside her comfort zone. She makes us proud.”
SITW taught me that being in nature can heal and ground me in many ways. Nature gives a sense of family you don’t get from a regular school. Having a year surrounded by the natural world also inadvertently makes you conscious of it, and it’s not a belief that is easily shaken.
In this setting, I remember more belonging and love than I ever could have expected. Without this experience broadening my horizons, I would not have the courage to pursue a degree in journalism, nor would I have been confident enough to go to Northern Arizona University. It’s out-of-state yet familiar, as the Flagstaff area keeps me as connected to the environment as I was at SITW.
School in the Woods taught me about integrity โ the importance of doing things right when no one else is looking โ and that same philosophy is central to being an effective journalist. Through the lens of the natural world, I have learned that the easy path does not create the best results. You need to consider the impact of your actions on others. You are a truth-seeker who describes how actions affect not just you, but your readers, your publication, your community, and the entire world.
Recently, I returned to SITW to reset my psyche after a rough first year of college. I needed to re-ground and realize that Iโm just a small part of something much bigger than myself. The SITW experience is just one year, but it cannot be replicated by anything Iโve ever seen or heard. What I learned there about myself and others became even more relevant as I grew up. ย
Nature Became My Identity โ and My Destiny
Alec Wyatt, Eastern Cottontail SITW Class of 2009
My life has been forever shaped by this one year in the forest. I vividly remember my year in the woods, as it was the most engaging teaching I had ever had โ and an experience I would never have again in school. As it turns out, those nine months were all I really needed to know about what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
At School in the Woods, we were permitted to explore the woods freely and expend our energy as we pleased as long as we could see the school and hear the bell that denoted the end of recess. This level of freedom extended to many aspects of the School in the Woods experience. It led to the development of mature students who tended to rise to the level of responsibility bestowed upon them.
In going through this experience as one, we forged a camaraderie. Whether we were hiking through challenging weather in soggy shoes or muddy boots, I would take that any day over stale fluorescent lights. These challenges brought us together and developed relationships that continue to this day.
School in the Woods sparked a lifelong love of nature for me. I was always an outdoorsy child, but SITW nurtured and honed that interest into something I could own. I left School in the Woods empowered to pursue my love of nature, take action on my own to protect the natural world, and share my passion for nature with others.
The School inspired me to study nest boxes during the Black Forest Fire of 2013, to lead birding walks for local children, to volunteer at SITW during Spring Field Projects, to earn certification as a Master Naturalist in Texas and New Mexico, and to speak at conferences and events about birds, wildfire ecology, and nature. These experiences were rooted in my time in nature at School in the Woods.