Spring 2024 Newsletter

News From Trek CouNTry

Letter from the Director

Approaching 100: Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, 1926-2026

100 years! Celebrating a century of existence is more than just a mere milestone; it is an extraordinary juncture, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that demands recognition and reverence. As we gear up for our 100th Anniversary celebration at Cottonwood Gulch, the magnitude of this occasion cannot be overstated.

Leading Cottonwood Gulch into a second century fills me with pride, and I am eager to unveil the exciting plans we have in store. I am also going to share how you can celebrate alongside us. From attending our gatherings to immortalizing your transformative Trek experiences in writing, or even considering a bequest to ensure the next 100 years are as spectacular as the first, there are myriad ways you can contribute.

Together with the esteemed Cottonwood Gulch Board of Directors, we have identified four overarching goals for our 100th Anniversary: Preparing for a future marked by inclusivity and financial stability; fostering a sense of community and reigniting connections among our supporters; celebrating our rich history; and nurturing a new generation of stewards and donors.

To accomplish those goals, we have convened small committees to spearhead significant projects. Below is a summary of each endeavor, along with suggestions for how you can lend your support. I extend a heartfelt invitation for you to join us in this momentous celebration as we embark on the next chapter of Cottonwood Gulch's journey.

Trek on,

Jordan Stone Executive Director

1947 camping

Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions creates outdoor learning adventures for youth from all backgrounds that foster personal growth, strengthen community, and inspire stewardship of the natural world.

Our Board of Trustees

Marjorie Kittle, Chair

Scott Pierce III, Vice-Chair

Stephen Sedam, Treasurer

Laurie Hooper, Secretary

Carrie House

Alice Kodama

Jamie Kresberg

Bill Mendelsohn

Shawn Morris

Fred Peter

Saba Presley

BenjaminTobias

Austin Troy

Stephanie Vicenti

Our Staff

Jordan Stone Executive Director

Carrie Dalrymple Development Director

Naina Panthaki Director of Education

Andrew Pearson Director of Operations

Cass Landrum- Director of Summer Programs

Olivia Marín Enrollment/Communications Manager

Orlando Romero Office Manager

Donna White Food Coordinator

Brad Jeffrey Development Coordinator

Clara Bewley Community Education Coordinator

Tanner Johnson Community Education Coordinator

Iris Flechsenhaar Bachechi Caretaker

Jordan, Ellen, Josephine and Rowan

Cottonwood Gulch: A Community of Care

Every year, every season, every trip we get to facilitate, we see youth dive into what it means to truly care. To shed apathy and feel excited about moving their bodies and sharing life-changing experiences. We witness their growth as they start to care about the world around them, their peers, and perhaps most importantly, themselves. We invite youth and folks of all ages to step into a community that cultivates growth and care for each other and the natural spaces we inhabit.

Tech Leadership High School studen plants native species at Candelaria Nature Preserve

Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) 4th grade students in Cibola National Forest

La Promesa students on KP at Basecamp

New Voices at the Gulch Welcome New Board Members

Benjamin was born in Houston, TX and has lived in Albuquerque, NM for more than 15 years. Benjamin believes education is a right and not a privilege and has 10+ years of education experience, teaching English in Barcelona, Spain as well as public schools and Montessori schools in Albuquerque. Currently Benjamin works at Central New Mexico Community College helping students access the education and resources they need to succeed.

Benjamin became involved with Cottonwood Gulch while working as a Montessori teacher. After attending his first Cottonwood Gulch trek, where he saw firsthand the impact Cottonwood Gulch has on our children, he knew he wanted to be a part of this organization. He believes in the power of outdoor education and in providing all of our children with access to the education and life lessons Cottonwood Gulch offers the community. In his free time Benjamin enjoys being outdoors with his partner and son, playing disc golf, cooking, creating art, and volunteering in the Albuquerque community.

Jamie Kresberg

My name is Jamie Kresberg and I was a trekker for three summers during the early 1980’s. Fun fact: I was on a trek with our board chair, Marjorie, in 1984! After a long hiatus, I reconnected with the Gulch when my children went on Outfit Expeditions around 20122013. I have returned in more recent years as a Basecamp volunteer specialist to teach pottery, guitar, and songwriting.

Though I didn’t fully understand it until middle age, my experiences at the Gulch profoundly shaped me. After my mother passed away in 2011, I picked up my guitar, searched for words and chords, and wrote my first song. Putting my feelings to music helped me to grieve and to connect with others who were grieving. Looking back, I realized that I had picked up a little piece of wisdom as a teenager under the night skies of New Mexico during final campfire: when it’s too hard to talk about something, like saying goodbye to people we love, sometimes it is better to pick up an instrument and to sing.

As for my day-to-day existence, I am based in New York City and work in financial services. Most evenings and weekends you can find me practicing Travis, picking on my guitar, jogging short distances very slowly, reading novels, and-starting now-working to support CGE. I am profoundly grateful for everything I have gained from being a member of the Gulch community, and I am equally grateful for the opportunity to give back as a board member.

Saba Presley

Hello! My name is Saba (Say-ba). I am a Middle School Science teacher at a small charter school in Albuquerque. I have been fortunate to accompany students on Cottonwood Gulch trips since 2017. I grew up mostly in the Pacific Northwest, with a few years in New Mexico as a child. I moved to Albuquerque in 2014. The move was a lot like coming home. I am in love with being outside. New Mexico offers such variation in both landscape and ecosystem. My love for the outdoors is dwarfed only by the ability to share it with others, especially young people. Cottonwood Gulch makes the outdoors accessible to many folks who would otherwise have very limited exposure. I am delighted to serve on this Board.

Benjamin Tobias

Legacies at the Gulch The Silver Buckle Award and our Endowment

2024 SILVER BUCKLE AWARD NOMINATIONS: NOW OPEN

The Silver Buckle Award is a time-honored tradition at Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, historically presented to trekkers who distinguished themselves in some way over the course of the summer. The original Silver Buckle continues to be awarded to trekkers whenever summer program staff feel it is warranted.

In 2023 Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions created an additional version of this award, designed to recognize excellence in volunteers, staff and/or donors who have demonstrated an impactful pattern of service to the Gulch. The award honors years of contribution and sustained support of the Gulch, and is initiated through the following nomination process.

Criteria:

The Silver Buckle will be awarded to members of the Cottonwood Gulch community who have vividly demonstrated an exceptional impact on the programs, operations, management, continuity and/ or history of the organization. This could be through philanthropy, volunteer service, inclusiveness, collaboration, innovation, or leadership.

Eligibility:

Any past or present staff member, donor, or volunteer (including members of the board of directors) of Cottonwood Gulch shall be eligible to receive the award. Institutions and organizations who have served as valued partners may also be nominated. To be eligible, a nomination must be made for a potential recipient.

Nomination procedure:

To nominate someone to receive this award, please complete the Silver Buckle Nomination Form found on our website and your nomination will be reviewed. If you prefer to complete a paper version of the form, contact Brad Jeffrey at development@cottonwoodgulch.org; (505) 248-0563.

OUR ENDOWMENT

At our 75th anniversary in 2001, an idea was proposed by then Board Chair Jameson French to create an endowment for Cottonwood Gulch. Today that endowment holds $1.4 million dollars.

We manage the endowment funds so that we preserve the amount that was contributed, invest the money so that it earns interest, and spend part of the interest every year. Funding from the endowment gives us security and flexibility, and it plays a vital role in the ability of the Gulch to bring high quality outdoor education to an ever- growing number of trekkers. We are inviting our community members to contribute to our endowment and provide impactful support for our programs. Our endowment is essential for us to be able to cultivate the kind of life-changing experiences that keep trekkers, families and community members coming back to the Gulch. Thank you for your support!

If you are curious about donating to the endowment or joining the Red Rocks Society of planned giving, please contact Executive Director Jordan Stone at jordan@cottonwoodgulch.org.

Long time staff member, Chet Kubit with trekker

Long time Basecamp presence, Talus

Unveiling Our Centennial Celebration

A Glimpse Into Our Plans & Projects

1) Planned Giving Campaign

How do we care for future trekkers?

What we are doing now: Our planned giving campaign committee, chaired by board member Stephen Sedam, is making plans to grow our Red Rocks Society, those caring individuals who have included Cottonwood Gulch in their estate plans. Estate plan donors are able to ensure that the values and transformative experiences they cherish about the Gulch will continue for the next 100 years. These gifts help to grow the Gulch’s endowment, a cornerstone of our long-term financial stability.

What to expect next: In 2024, we will share information about how to join the Red Rocks Society by including Cottonwood Gulch in your estate plans, and how impactful this support is for the future of our organization. We will also reach out to those who have already joined the Red Rocks Society to acknowledge their generosity.

How you can help: Reach out to Jordan Stone (director@cottonwoodgulch.org) to learn more about including Cottonwood Gulch in your estate plans. If you are already a Red Rocks Society member – thank you!

2) Gulch Gatherings Across the Country and at Basecamp

How do we care for each other right now?

What we are doing now: Between 2024-2026, we will be hosting a series of regional events at locations across the country, in places where we have a concentration of Gulch supporters. Those regional events will culminate in a Basecamp anniversary event in 2026. The regional events committee is hard at work determining where to host events and what they will look like, and we will begin planning the Basecamp event later this year.

What to expect next: Keep an eye out for information about regional events near you. We will use email primarily — if we don’t have your email address, send it to us! (information below)

How you can help: If you are interested in hosting an event, let us know. You can email Tom Hyde, tom@russellhyde.net. and attend events near you — we will share information as events are scheduled.

Outfit Expedition on top of Mt Taylor at Sunrise

100 Years of Care

3) A 100th Anniversary Book, and Collecting Gulch History

How do we care for our past?

What we are doing now: We have two committees tasked with gathering meaningful fragments of Gulch history (photos, stories, logs, etc) and producing a 100th Anniversary Book. These are complex, exciting projects, and we are looking for volunteers to help us bring these projects to fruition.

What to expect next: We will be compiling a lot of things! If you have pieces of Gulch history to contribute, dust them off, and expect to hear from us soon about how to share them with us.

How you can help: The book will be OUR book, and we are seeking a myriad of contributions (writing, providing high-quality photos or log entries, recipes, maps, visual art, copy editing, publishing). If you have content you would like to share, please contact Wenda Trevathan, at wtrevath@gmail.com. We will be asking for historical documents soon, so get those ready to share.

100th Anniversary Honorary Committee

We have gathered an honorary committee to act as ambassadors and enthusiastic supporters of our 100th Anniversary events. Each of these people was chosen because of their significant, longstanding role in our history and their contributions to our success. The members are:

• Monty Billings, former trekker and Executive Director

• Martin Heinrich, former Executive Director, current United States Senator

• Tommy Henio, Honorary Board Chair, former trekker, staff, and board member

• Hillis Howie, Jr., former trekker and staff, son of CGE’s founder Hillis Howie, Sr.

• Lucy Kluckhohn Jones, former trekker and staff

• Chet Kubit, current staff since 1965

• Molly Merrell Madden, Honorary Board Chair, former trekker, staff, and board member

• Irene Notah, former trekker and board member

• Wenda Trevathan, Honorary Board Chair, former trekker, staff, and board member

• Mark Udall, former Trekker & United States Senator

Send us your email: Much of our communication about the 100th Anniversary will happen via email. If we don’t have yours, please send Olivia an email and we will add you to our list: Olivia.Marin@cottonwoodgulch.org.

Rendezvous Campfire 2023

Sharing Meals in Community

In the kitchen with Donna

By Donna White Food Coordinator & Basecamp Cook

Vegan Chili

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 tbsp. Olive oil

3 ½ cups cooked or canned kidney beans

1-28oz. can diced tomatoes (3 ½ cups)

6 oz. tomato paste

2 ½ cups cooked or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

8-12 mushrooms, chopped

1 12 oz. can corn (1 ½ cups)

¾ cup rice (you can substitute quinoa or any other grain) I use rice.

1-3 tbsp. Chili powder

1 tbsp. Pepper

2 tbsp.. Curry paste and/or curry powder

2 cups vegetable stock or water

Directions:

In a large pot, saute the onions and carrots in oil on mediumhigh heat until the onions are translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and stir them together. Simmer on medium-low for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. I serve this with cornbread.

Hi, my name is Donna White. I have been working with Cottonwood Gulch as the Food Coordinator/Kitchen Manager/chef since February 2020. I originally applied for a field educator position , but was talked into being the Food Coordinator. I could never have known how much I would enjoy being in this role. While I have been in the food industry for many years, my favorite and most rewarding times have been when kids were involved, whether feeding them or teaching them. Making and sharing food is my love language, so having the privilege of feeding our trekkers brings me a lot of joy. I also love having the opportunity to do Cottonwoods in the kitchen so I can share my knowledge and get kids excited about cooking and or baking. It has been my experience that they take so much pride in their accomplishments in the kitchen. I have chosen a recipe that feels good to me as the kids always tell me…”Miss Donna, you make the best chili in the whole world”, and this is coming from some pretty picky eaters. This is high praise and makes my heart soar when I hear it, I always tell them there is a secret ingredient…LOVE.

“I don’t eat cornbread Miss Donna…it’s dry.” This is a delicious recipe that kids ALWAYS enjoy.

Cornbread

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour (you can substitute any flour you want if you have a gluten intolerance) 1 cup cornmeal

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tbsp.baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ cup (8 tbsp) butter, melted

½ cup oil

1 ¼ cups milk (you can substitute with any plant based milk if you are lactose intolerant) 3 large eggs

Honey and extra butter for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined. (Don’t overmix) Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs (no wet batter) Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan before cutting into squares… (Important) Serve with butter and/or honey

Donna shows a student how to use the flaptop in the Basecamp Kitchen

By Andrew Pearson Director of Operations

How to care for your first Com

A "Com"ical Endeavor

So you’ve decided to welcome your very first Com into the house! How exciting! While you should expect some stains on the carpet and other growing pains, taking care of a Com is an extremely rewarding experience. Preparing ahead of time will make the transition a heck of a lot easier, so here are a few things to know!

Finding a Doctor

There are a lot of moving parts in your future Com, so be sure to shop around to find a good doctor to take care of it when things wear out! An experienced doctor can fix your Com’s undercarriage, freshen up its fluids, and make sure its exhaust isn’t too stinky.

Creating a safe living space

Coms may seem like tough creatures but they’re actually very sensitive so it’s vital that you provide a welcoming space for them to live. Most Coms prefer lots of shade, a nice sunrise view, and to be parked near the rest of their friends.

Cleaning up after your Com

While today’s Coms are much tidier than those of the 1950’s, you should still be prepared for them to make a mess. Keep lots of paper towels on hand to quickly sop up “accidents”, and at least in the beginning consider keeping them off of the carpet.

Establish a routine

Coms thrive on predictability so be sure to stick to a regular schedule with your new friend. For example: check its fluids in the morning, take it for a long walk down a bumpy back road in the afternoon, and lull it to sleep with “Desert Silvery Blue” each evening.

Getting your very first Com is exciting but can also be very intimidating! By preparing ahead of time you can ensure that your Com feels loved, protected, and ready to be by your side for many, many miles to come.

Andrew spends a lot of time under a Com

An unlikely mechanic

School Programs Cultivating Care

Youth embrace self-care and their community

By Marissa Bluestein Community Education Coordinator

"Relax, calm down, live life and enjoy the memories. If not you might miss it. Enjoy the memories with friends and always remember the good times. Appreciate the friendship, it can go away so fast so sit back, talk, smile and laugh."

A photo caption from an 8th grade student at Cien Aguas International School in Albuquerque, during our Photovoice program captures what it means to feel community and friendship. Photovoice invites students to use photography to make meaning, by responding to questions or prompts. Using student centered learning, a question is created, and students generate an answer by creating a photograph, or series of photographs, along with written captions. Students will engage with the environment in both urban and wild settings, using photographs to create their own story of how they relate to nature.

During our two days in the field students answered the questions, "What does nature mean to me?" and "How do I see myself in community?" They used images and storytelling to capture what it looks like to belong in a place and belong to a community of people. Photovoice allowed students to reflect on how they care for others, why they care and who they care about through exploring local ecosystems like Valle De Oro and Bachechi Open Space. They spent their days learning, exploring, playing and being in community with each other while taking photos. At the end of our project, they chose the two photos that meant the most to them and wrote captions accompanying each photo. Through critical creative thought, Photovoice has provided a space for open conversations and showing gratitude toward others and for nature. It is a program that is individual by nature, yet creates a community of care and creativity for students to interact with while feeling more valued.

In today's world students are bombarded with technology and obligations to school, family, sport and friends, which can make it difficult for them to be present and slow down in such a fast moving world. This program lets students just be with each other and appreciate the moments they have. Some advice to take from an 8th grader's photo caption and from Ferris Bueller, "Take a quick breather and talk about all the good times with your buddy and remember to enjoy life for a while. Life moves fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it."

Photovoice image captured by Cien Aguas student

Photovoice image captured by Tech Leadership High School student

First Nations Community Healthsource youths viewing their work

School Programs Cultivating Care cont.

Self-discovery through community experience

By Tanner Johnson Community Education Coordinator

Last year marked a significant milestone for Cottonwood Gulch as we embarked on our inaugural school break program in collaboration with First Nations Community Healthsource’s (FNCHS) Traditional Wellness Program. Together we organized a two-day camp catering to children from FNCHS's afterschool programs at Bernalillo County Open Space sites. From the outset, our joint endeavor prioritized cultivating a culture of care, reflecting the core values shared by both organizations.

The enthusiastic response from FNCHS towards the itinerary we presented them with underscored the alignment of our values and objectives. Notably, the Traditional Wellness Program, with its emphasis on the intrinsic connection between natural environments and holistic well-being, served as a guiding principle. Collaboratively, we curated an immersive experience aimed at not only celebrating nature's richness but also fostering a profound sense of community care.

Over the past year, our partnership with FNCHS has flourished, evolving in tandem with the community's needs. Our programming has adapted to the seasonal rhythms, a cornerstone of FNCHS's philosophy. Activities have encompassed diverse experiences, from the implementation of our Photovoice curriculum to observing the nuanced changes in the bosque throughout the year, and even delving into the therapeutic role of horses, under the guidance of Jered Lee from FNCHS.

In essence, our collaboration transcends mere coordination; it embodies a shared commitment to nurturing both community well-being and environmental stewardship. Together, we strive to create experiences that educate, inspire, and instill a culture of care among all participants.

First Nation Community Healthsource youth riding Rizon and Bowdash

Jered Lee shares his knowledge about leadership and trust

Caring for Place

A peek into wildfire management and caring for our forests

By Andrew Pearson Director of Operations

As the sun rose to greet a crisp October dawn, the culmination of three years of planning, coordination, and legwork, was finally upon us. Cottonwood Gulch’s Basecamp, a mere speck on the map nestled against the Zuni Mountains, was playing host to half a dozen interstate agencies and firefighting organizations from all over the country. Our mission was a straightforward one: to safely reintroduce fire to a landscape deprived of it since Western colonization, which results in a myriad of ecological challenges and risks to local communities. Regrettably, New Mexico is no stranger to wildfires so the utmost precaution and risk management was paramount in this operation.

The day crept on, fuel moisture samples were collected, and small test burns were executed with surgical precision to ensure favorable burning conditions on a larger scale. The proposed burn area, approximately 100 acres of ponderosa forest, had been prepped multiple times over the last three years to ensure even fuel availability and fire containment. The only ingredient missing was out of our hands: acceptable weather. Too much wind, precipitation, or heat could stall the entire operation and had already done so for the previous three attempts to conduct this burn. Finally, Mother Nature was on our side: the weather was ideal, fuel moistures were within specifications, and the test burns behaved exactly as we had hoped. It was time to act.

As the first drip torch spilled burning fuel onto the pine needle duff, the Rubicon had been crossed. The point of no return quickly vanishing in the rearview mirror, fire engines rumbled to life to pressurize thousands of feet of hose lay, ready to suppress any rogue flame. Hand crews trotted across the burn unit, dripping small flames into the dry understory and monitoring as they quickly grew to licking orange sheets, ravenously consuming all the fuel in their path. By the day’s end, nearly a third of the targeted land had been successfully burned.

Morning came quickly as the chilly air draped a blanket of

residual smoke over Basecamp. As temperatures rose and the smoke cleared, we were back at it with renewed vigor. Now a finelytuned machine, the various crews on site were operating with staggering efficiency. Hours ticked by. A vista previously characterized by dried undergrowth was turning into a smoldering Mordor-esque landscape, gray smoke choking the sunlight. Though it hardly looked like a field of victory, the project was a complete success.

In the weeks that followed, diligent patrols of the burn unit hunted down each and every smoldering stump, wisp of smoke, and hidden coal bed. It was this monotonous, though crucial, mopping up that ensured a safe conclusion of the prescribed burn for both the immediate environment and neighboring communities. Already, Basecamp is showing renewed signs of life as spring rains water the fields and the ashes of old undergrowth are returning vital nutrients back to the soil. This collaborative initiative has created a safer fire environment for all future generations fortunate enough to visit our beautiful corner of the world.

Andrew on site during the Prescribed Burn

Basecamp Collaborations

Sharing resources to build community

By Kyle Trujillo Senior Program Director Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC) had the privilege of conducting a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course at the Cottonwood Gulch Basecamp this spring. This course is a significant moment in ALCC’s training development, as it was the first internally supported course of its kind in ALCC’s history. The young leaders gained crucial skills in providing patient care in wilderness settings; skills that will increase the safety of program activities broadly and in the communities we serve.

Emmanuel Lopez, one of our leaders, remarked, “The Gulch was a great learning environment as it helped put us in the position of real life experience.” Field Supervisor Olivia Martinez agreed: “I really enjoyed being out at Cottonwood Gulch because it felt like the type of environment that we would typically use these scenarios in.” Our lead instructor, Sierra Bingham was likewise effusive: “Cottonwood Gulch was an excellent location for a WFR – the onsite staff were attentive and checked in with our staff. It was an awesome opportunity to collaborate with an entity that reflects many of the values we are trying to instill in our leadership – hard work, accountability, and expanding experiences.”

ALCC is grateful to Cottonwood Gulch and their staff for helping us create space for our community-building efforts and look forward to partnering further on future training endeavors.

"I love partnering with other organizations as it allows us to build relationships across the broad community of our region, and learn more deeply about other missions and how our missions overlap. Sharing resources and strengthening our partnerships gives us ample opportunity to build up and care for our community."

--Cass Landrum, CGE Summer Programs Director

WFR practice infront of the Mess Hall

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

Accessible Communities Encourage Care

School Trek Focused

Cottonwood Gulch has been offering summertime programming for nearly one hundred years, but that is not our only area of expertise. For the past twenty years, we have extended our programming to include extensive work with school groups. Our full-time education team has worked to make the transformational experience of being on trek accessible to all, and have developed strong relationships with countless community partners. We currently offer 8 separate school programs, all of which forge deep connections with the nature and cultures of the American Southwest.

1) Energy Trek, a trek for high school students that explores energy and fossil fuel production in New Mexico, conservation efforts and climate change.

2) Photovoice, an all ages program that uses nature photography as a tool for students to explore their relationship to the natural world and tell a unique story.

3) Water, a 7th-12th grade program that encourages students to explore water in our state and its relationship to our lives.

4) Environmental Restoration, a high school program that studies natural areas that have been adversely affected by human activities, and culminates in the completion of a restoration project in one of these areas.

5) Students in Wilderness Initiative (SIWI), a program for 6th-8th grade students that focuses on visiting and learning about public lands in New Mexico, teaches outdoor skills, and helps students explore their individual relationship to nature and outdoor activities.

6) Plan Your Own Adventure, where group leaders from CGE facilitate a discussion with students and teachers in 7th - 12th grades to design and execute their own outdoor experience.

7) Every Kid Outdoors, a program for 4th grade students consisting of 2 classroom days and one field day to a National Forest location; students receive free National Park passes for themselves and their families.

8) Community Camping, a 3-4 day overnight camping trip for all ages that emphasizes outdoor recreation skills and community building.

La Promesa students at Basecamp

This program included Energy and Community Camping aspects

SCHOOL PROGRAM STATS

Today, we create over 10,000 student days in the outdoors annually, with 10 individual summer programs, and over 30 school partners, the majority of which (65%) are Title I (free-lunch) schools. We have school partners in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Gallup and Grants, as well as several out of state schools.

Fall 2023:

81 field days, 15 schools, 750 students.

Spring 2024 scheduled (as of 4/1/24):

117 field days, 17 schools, 776 students

Accessible Communities Encourage Care

"Getting kids outside is a revolutionary act. Just getting them out to play and explore. Its a win."

--Marissa Bluestein CGE Communty Education Coordinator

“It doesn’t only impact the land, it impacts plants, animals, water, and people and their families.”

--La Promesa student on the effects of Uranium mining.

“I liked seeing the kids bonding outside. The Gulch activities and locations inspire youth to take ownership of their own experience.”

--Cien Aguas International School Teacher

SPRING APPEAL COMING SOON!

Your contributions support getting youth outdoors, not just in the summer, but year-round. We instill our Gulch values into all of our school programs: Environmental Stewardship, Personal Growth Through Adventure, and Building Bridges Across Cultures. Youth get to build skills around outdoor living, science in the field, and creative critical thinking. By donating this Spring, you can help school trekkers develop their connection to outdoor community living and the unique ecosystems of the Southwest. Donations will be used to cover the program costs for Title I (low income) schools. Head to our website at cottonwoodgulch.org/donate/ and consider donating today. Thank you!

South Valley Academy students are tucked in on the Rio Grande shore (Albuquerque Bosque)

Summer 2024 Awaits!

Get Outdoors (GO)Trek

GO1 ages 8-10: 6/9 - 6/15, GO2 ages 10-12: 6/9 - 6/15

GO Trek is a week full of adventure at our Basecamp; a perfect introduction to outdoor community living and challenge by choice.

Outfit Expeditions ages 10-12: 6/22 - 7/8 and 7/20 - 8/5

Outfit spends about 17 days building a foundation in outdoor living and trekkers are introduced to their first Gulch road loop to explore nearby public lands.

Wild Country Trek ages 13-15: 6/22 - 7/12 and 7/20 - 8/9

WCT spends three weeks practicing science in the field and focusing on the stewardship of natural spaces, including Wilderness areas during their first Gulch backpacking trip.

Prairie Trek ages 14-16: 6/27 - 7/31

PT invites adventurous young men to spend five weeks exploring the Southwest and diving deep into their identities through self-discovery and community collaboration.

Turquoise Trail ages 14-16: 6/27 - 7/31

TT invites adventurous young women to spend five weeks exploring the Southwest and diving deep into their identities through self-discovery and community collaboration.

Mountain Desert Trek ages 16-18: 6/24- 8/5

MDT focuses on leadership development through challenging outdoor adventure. Trekkers spend 45 days backpacking, bikepacking and roadtripping through out the four corner region.

Paleontology Trek ages 14-18: 6/22 - 7/12

Paleo Trek invites aspiring paleontologists, geologists and dinosaur enthusiasts to work on an active dig site with a professional paleontologist and gain college credit.

Blue Corn Trek ages 14-18: 7/20 - 8/9

BCT spends 3 weeks learning about the cultural history of local food systems in the southwest; planting, harvesting and cooking ingredients alongside experts.

SUMMER 2024 RENDEZVOUS

Saturday July 6th

Saturday July 27th

Please email/call us if you are planning on joining us this summer!

If you know of a young person who you believe would enjoy a summer spent with Cottonwood Gulch, please reach out to Olivia at olivia.marin@cottonwoodgulch.org or (505)-248-0563-- Help us to grow our community!

Wild Country Trek 2023

Paleo Trek 2023

Turquoise Trail 2023