Partner Highlight: Cal-Wood Education Center

During Family Camp at Cal-Wood Education Center, one dad said: “This is the first time that I have been camping like this with my son, and it is just excellent. And now, I feel like I can do something like this alone.”
This sentiment is exactly what Cal-Wood’s executive director, Rafael Salgado, envisioned when he launched Cal-Wood’s family camp program. “Many of the Front Range’s Latinos are from Mexico. Being from Mexico myself, I can say that there is not much public land that can be accessed for outdoor recreation in my country. At the same time, families from Mexico often have a deep-rooted sense of the importance in connecting to nature. Families just need to know that here in the US, there are National Forests where anyone can camp, hike or fish.” Family camp at Cal-Wood is a great place to start.
Under Salgado’s leadership, Cal-Wood has expanded its programs to provide amazing experiences for Colorado families. As another father said, “As part of Latino culture, we can sometimes be very reserved with our children. We want our kids next to us all the time. But here. Wow. There’s a lot of freedom. And there’s nothing to be afraid of. Because at Cal-Wood, there’s so much help and so many people making sure we enjoy the experience.”