And We Say Hello

Welcome Back Cass Landrum, Our New Director of Summer Programs

I can hardly express my excitement to be back at the Gulch and stepping into this newly created Summer Director role. When I first arrived at the Gulch in 2012, the Southwest sun kissed my skin and soaked into my soul. As I came to learn the intention behind all the acronyms that first summer, I could tell I had found a home. Basecamp became a physical haven for me, a place to make friends around a bowl of chili, shout Ghost Riders into a moonlit sky, and carry on scientific studies that had been ongoing for almost a century. The Gulch staff quickly became like family as we bonded over navigating rutted roads, eating silt-seasoned eggs, and the silence in watching the sunrise from the peak of a mountain. But even more than the physical space- the Gulch is a community– where one can be goofy or gritty or weird or in wonder. The Gulch is a place where you can immerse yourself into the incredible enveloping ecosystems around you, and empower change within those spaces, and I have missed that since I've been away.

I am thrilled to be a part of this team again, and honored to help uphold the Gulch's culture of growth and intentionality. I have my sights set on a successful 100th anniversary celebration, and thriving through three stellar years on the path to get there. I am eager to foster the cultural history and scientific curiosity that makes the Gulch unique in this rapidly-advancing world.

I look forward to guiding trekkers to grow while giving back through identifying and creating projects that benefit Basecamp and the surrounding community. I expect to lean on the land both as a teaching tool as we develop our Land Management plan, and as a grounding place for trekkers, staff and alumni to listen inward and laugh outward. Mostly, I am excited to have an active role in this community again, and I encourage you to send a message or drop by and say “Hi”- whether you’re a new friend or an old one.

Welcome to the Board, Bill Mendelsohn

Bill Mendelsohn lives in Littleton, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Divinity School, and Boston College Law School. Bill is the Vice President, Contract Negotiations, for Skillsoft Corporation, an educational technology company that provides online training and compliance materials. He also serves on the board of the Brattle Film Foundation, which runs the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square.

Bill attended the Outfit in 1979-80, Group I in 1981-82, and was on Basecamp Staff in 1986-87. His sons, Nicholas and Augie, have also spent multiple summers at the Gulch.

Bill says: "I am looking forward to working with the other members of the Board to help ensure a strong second century for Cottonwood Gulch."