Friends of School in the Woods is dedicated to preserving the land, protecting the campus, and sustaining the outdoor education programs that depend on them.
The Outdoor Education
In 1999, Jonathan Wuerth and Carol Stansfield created School in the Woods, an outdoor education-based school in Black Forest, Colorado.
Every year seventy-eight fourth graders from across District 20 leave their elementary schools to spend a year learning and growing in the woods. Since School in the Woods was founded, over 1500 students have learned in, about, and from the land while becoming naturalists. Learn more about SITW
The Land
School in the Woods sits on 10 acres of land owned by District 20. The rest of the land including the pond, Wiki Town, and the archery fields is on 535 acres of State Land Board land leased by D20.
The land was originally leased in 1997 for 25 years on an educational lease for $100 per year. In 2022, the lease was renegotiated by the Colorado Land Board as a recreational lease for a shorter time period.
The current lease lasts only until 2032 with the Land Board able to cancel it at any time with only 30 days notice.
Developers have expressed interest in buying the land, making it essential that we fight to preserve the incredible programs that touch so many lives.
Our primary goal is to protect the land for future years to support outdoor learning and experiences.
Help preserve the land that has touched so many for 20 more years.
Watch how far we’ve come, then head to our Alumni Bios to read personal reflections on the SITW experience.
If you are an Alumni, share your experience here.