Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions

UPDATES: Hiring!

Hiring:

Cottonwood Gulch is hiring Field Educators for the spring season (Mar-May) and Summer seasons (June-mid August). If you're dreaming of a summer spent in the southwest sun, hiking, backpacking, climbing, exploring, playing, and sitting under the stars at a unique unplugged program that is going into it's 98th summer, look no further!Our Seasonal Field Educators collaborate to implement educational curriculum tailored to the specific destinations of the expedition and interests of the partners as groups travel around the Southwest and to our Basecamp in Thoreau, NM. We are looking for outdoor adventurers, scientists, artists, culturalists, cooks and others who are excited to share their knowledge and inspire young people to connect with the outdoors. In addition, Field Educators manage the packing and organization of gear for their designated expeditions. Seasonal Field Educators with a background or interest in cooking will manage meals and nutrition for trekkers, staff, and partners while on trek.

Responsibilities specific to this role:

• Use your unique set of skills and knowledge in outdoor adventure, science, art, culture, food or another field related to our mission to inspire trekkers in their personal growth and group development

• Utilize CGE educational resources, training, and previous experience to prepare place based programming to educate, impart new ideas, and inspire trekkers to learn about the specific areas where the group is traveling

• Plan for and execute activities, games, reflections, and debriefs during down times and campfires; plan itinerary-specific activities in collaboration with staff team

• Utilize systems for storing, packing, issuing, managing and repairing group gear and personal gear

• Teach trekkers outdoor skills such as campsite selection and setup, navigation, fire building, safety, etc.

• Plan, prepare or assist with cooking meals for large group sizes both assisting in a commercial kitchen at our Basecamp and on the road with a road kitchen setup

• Work with staff team to manage risk in the field

• Support and lead experiential place-based activities when at Basecamp

The field educators work in tandem as a group staff team during the summer and are responsible for key elements of a group expedition. We work with a variety of age groups, ranging from 8-18 and staff will guide one or more our summer expedition teams of trekkers across the Southwest.

• Group Leaders: Group Leaders take on the responsibility of leading their trek throughout the season. They are the member of the team who are primarily responsible for key elements of a group expedition including risk management, logistics, community, culture, and learning. This position is ideal for those who are knowledgeable about the Southwest and seeking leadership opportunities. Familiarity with the Gulch and/or summer camp experience is preferred.

• Responsibilities specific to this role 

• ● Group leaders will: ○ Collaborate to create an environment conducive to learning, growth, and fun ○ Assist Program Directors in management and mentorship of staff team; serve as supervisor to staff team while in the field with a group of 10-25 staff and trekkers. ○ Help to plan and finalize details of an expedition itinerary in accordance with CGE guidelines ○ Manage the logistics of a group expedition, including itinerary building ○ Communicate with families to verify participant paperwork ○ Communicate with families of trekkers prior to the start of the expedition, and when challenging situations arise, in consultation with the Summer Director. ○ Facilitate thoughtful post-trek communication for trekkers and staff including written feedback, and summary letters

Program Staff: The Program Staff is the member of the group staff team who supports the creation of a curriculum tailored to the specific destinations of the expedition and interests of the trekkers. People who are successful in this position are excited to share their own areas of passion with their group and also excited to follow where the trekkers’ interests lead them. In addition, they manage the packing and organization of gear for their designated expedition. We are seeking self-motivated, well organized individuals who enjoy working with youth.

• Responsibilities specific to this role 

• ● Program Staff will: ○ Utilize existing systems to store, pack, issue, manage, and repair gear as necessary throughout the expedition; this includes camping gear (such as tents, backpacks, handwashing supplies, water, etc), programming materials (such as science, art, and place-based learning materials), and road kitchen gear as requested for the cook. ○ Work with trekkers to determine areas of interest and guide projects and learning from those areas ○ Plan for and execute activities, games, reflections, and debriefs during down times and campfires; plan itinerary-specific activities in collaboration with their staff team ○ Educate, impart new ideas, and inspire trekkers to learn about the specific areas that the group is traveling through ○ Assist in teaching trekkers outdoor skills such as campsite selection and setup, navigation, fire building and safety, etc. ○ Work with staff team to manage risk in the field ○ Design, facilitate and/or support 2-3 hour activities when at basecamp

• Road Cook: The Road Cook is the member of the group staff team who designs, purchases, cooks and adheres to the food budget for their designated expedition. Road cooks work with the staff team to create a menu which takes into account nutrition, caloric needs of trekkers, dietary restrictions, time restraints, and logistical realities of backcountry cooking. Our ideal candidates are detail-oriented, flexible and self motivated to create nutritious and delicious meals.

• Responsibilities specific to this role:

• ● Road Cooks will:

• Design expedition menus with the consideration of itineraries, dietary restrictions and budget

• ○ Collaborate with Basecamp cooks and trek team needs to make appropriate food orders to achieve the highest quality meals possible ○ Manage a food budget in collaboration with the Group Leader ○ Cook food for groups of 10-30 people in an outdoor kitchen with a propane camp stove ○ Coordinate to find appropriate times to resupply for fresh food ○ Develop an organized system to store, pack, manage leftovers, keep food cold, etc. within food handlers’ guidelines ○ Educate, impart new ideas, and inspire trekkers to learn to cook ○ Assist in preparing/cooking/dehydrating meals for backcountry settings ○ Follow all CGE food safety guidelines and specifications based on Food Handlers Certification

The Basecamp Facilitation team assists other staff members in providing exceptional outdoor education to our summer trekkers by maintaining a functioning Basecamp. This is a full-time, 24/7 residential position throughout the summer. 

Resident Basecamp Cooks are the part of our Basecamp team that provides nourishment through food and educational outdoor programming. Cooks assist our food manager in designing menus, preparing food, and keeping the kitchen clean. Cooks’ schedules differ from everyone else at basecamp, in that they are expected to be up before bells to prepare breakfast, and are often cooking during daily activities, therefore evening activities (games/campfires) are optional. However, cooks should plan to find ways to involve trekkers as part of their regular routine.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Resident Basecamp Cook will:

• Work as a team to design a menu with southwest flair that considers relevant dietary restrictions and time budgetary restraints

• Cook food in a commercial kitchen for 30-150 people

• Utilizes systems to inventory, store, manage leftovers, within food handlers guidelines

• Assist in ordering/sourcing food from a variety of vendors

• Educate, impart new ideas, and inspire trekkers to learn to cook

• Assist in preparing/cooking/dehydrating meals for backcountry settings

• Follow all Food Handlers protocols and CGE food safety guidelines and specifications

Resident Basecamp Operations Assistant is primarily part of our Basecamp team that provides behind the scenes support to keep our 550-acre Basecamp running smoothly. Daily duties can differ depending on need, and typically involve hands-on labor that is expected to be completed autonomously. This team should involve and teach trekkers whenever possible.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Resident Basecamp Operations Assistant will:

• Collaborate to maintain swimming pool

• Construction and repair of basic items like shelves, chicken coops, tables, benches, etc.

• Oversee basic building repair and maintenance; painting, repairing hinges, roofs, stair treads, etc.

• Serve as part of a team that maintains composting latrines

• Assist with land management strategies such as trail maintenance/construction, erosion control,invasive species removal, etc.

• Manage trash and recycling removal; ability to drive manual transmission strongly preferred

• Ensure that firewood is stocked at various fire circles at Basecamp

• Ensure essential office tasks are completed each day; organization/cleaning, mail in/out, etc.

• Assist with gear management and repair

• Assist with event setup and breakdown

• Work with Operations Director to order supplies and manage a budget

• Join field programs when needed to assist or fill in for program staff

The Basecamp Specialist team provides exceptional outdoor education to our summer trekkers. This is a full-time, 24/7 residential position throughout the summer. There are a variety of Educator positions each with a different focus in experiential, place based education. 

Resident Naturalist will focus on providing high-quality science education programming including, but not limited to: ecology, biology, geology, astronomy, and ornithology to trekkers. We do not expect any one person to have expertise in each of these fields, but should have knowledge in some or most of them, and be willing to engage trekkers in topics that pique their interest. Activities and projects facilitated by this person should lead trekkers to understand contemporary issues such as fire ecology, riparian and stream health, native vs. non-native species, impacts of grazing and logging, light pollution, mining, climate change, etc.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Resident Naturalist will:

• Lead interpretive hikes throughout our 550-acre Basecamp property and surrounding areas

• Engage trekkers in land management strategies such as invasive species removal and erosion mitigation

• Create interpretive works with trekkers such as field guides, water quality indices, dendrochronology displays, etc.

• Model a professional, scholarly, and fun approach to such topics as environmental ethics, public and private land management, ecotourism, hunting for sport and food, etc.

Resident Culturalist will have expertise in one or more of the cultures in the Southwestern U.S. through personal experience, archaeology, or traditional knowledge, and be willing to share that expertise with our trekkers. Activities and projects facilitated by this person should lead trekkers to understand the cultures of the Southwest on a deeper

level. Potential projects could include surface archaeology, artifact analysis and curation, mapping, hands-on skills like flint knapping, or visits to important sites and communities. Many of our programs focus on experiential learning with a focus on understanding cultures and traditions of the Southwest.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Resident Culturalist will:

• Engage trekkers in experiential activities in your area of expertise, such as traditional knowledge, yucca weaving, corn grinding, stone cooking, ceramics, basket making, flint knapping, atlatl throwing, and masonry

• Lead interpretive hikes within our 550-acre Basecamp property and surrounding areas

• Model a professional, scholarly, and respectful approach to the related contexts of living contemporary cultures

• Maintain and develop relationships with Indigenous communities throughout the Southwest

Resident Art Specialist provides exceptional arts and cultural education to our summer trekkers. This position plans and facilitates activities in the Basecamp Nature Arts Workshop (NAW) (without electricity) to trekkers. The studio is equipped for metalwork/silversmithing, pit-fired pottery, weaving, leather work, beading, printmaking, and a variety of other visual arts. This person should be ready to lead art activities, participate in the artistic process with a variety of trekkers, and exhibit passion for both traditional and contemporary art of the Southwest, engaging community artists for expertise in areas they do not have experience.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Resident Art Specialist will:

• Lead traditional and contemporary art activities for trekkers

■ Our focus on art activities has historically been

metalwork/silversmithing, pit fired pottery, weaving, leather work,

beading, and printmaking. Experience with these media (or some of

them) is strongly preferred

• Engage trekkers in collaborative art projects

• Maintain organization and care of art tools in the studio

• Support trekkers in creation of short projects (2-3 hour session) and longer projects (2-5 days)

• Support and supervise trekker-directed work during “down times”

The Climbing and Adventure Specialist provides exceptional adventure education to our summer trekkers, including facilitating top rope rock climbing, bouldering at the Basecamp bouldering wall, rapelling, roped tree climbing, team building initiatives, orienteering, and low ropes course elements. We follow the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor guidelines for facilitating rock climbing. This position would also be responsible for tracking the use of and appropriately maintaining the gear used for climbing.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Climbing & Adventure Specialist will:

• Facilitate top rope rock climbing at a variety of sites with trekkers ages 8-18 with a variety of experience and comfort levels with climbing

• Manage risk with a group of up to 20 trekkers at a climbing site

• Plan and execute a variety of team building activities and games with groups of 5-20 trekkers including low ropes course elements

• Maintain rope logs and appropriate gear management of ropes, shoes, harnesses, helmets, anchor materials, climbing holds, and crash pad

• Ensure that AMGA SPI protocols are being followed

• Teach LNT principles while climbing

• Facilitate roped tree climbing, orienteering, and bouldering while at Basecamp

The Farmer provides high-quality farm education programming while also producing vegetables from a 1⁄4-acre farm for use in our programs. Our Basecamp is located at about 7500’ in a very dry climate and Southwestern farming techniques are essential to the success of the farm. The farmer is also responsible for caring for a flock of laying hens and chicks including educating our trekkers about chicken care.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Farmer will:

• Plan, plant, care for, and harvest vegetables in a 1⁄4-acre farm with two hoop houses

• Plan and execute a variety of farm activities for trekkers such as planting, harvesting, plant identification, etc.

• Maintain a composting system

• Communicate with the Basecamp kitchen staff about anticipated harvest amounts and timing

• Care for a flock of about 20 egg-laying chickens

• Integrate Farm to Table projects to incorporate farm produce into meals

The Mountain Bike Specialist provides exceptional adventure education to our summer trekkers using CGE’s fleet of mountain bikes. We follow the BICP Level 1 Pre-Ride Assessment and Ride Guide recommendations to introduce new mountain bikers to the sport. Once on the trail, our focus is teaching mountain bike skills, IMBA Trail Etiquette, and fun. We also expect our bike specialists to perform essential repairs and maintenance, and to include trekkers in those repairs. The mountain bike specialist can also participate in trail design and development at our Basecamp. Our mountain bike fleet is housed in a trailer that can be used at our Basecamp or at a variety of trails throughout the region.

Responsibilities specific to this role

Mountain Bike Specialist will:

• Facilitate mountain bike skill sessions and trail rides.

• Manage risk with a group of up to 20 trekkers on mountain bike rides with support from otherstaff members

• WFR or WEMT strongly preferred

• Plan and execute a variety of bike-based activities for trekkers both on and off Basecamp

• Maintain and service a fleet of approximately 20 mountain bikes

• Ensure that BICP L1 pre-ride assessment and ride guide protocols are being followed

• Teach IMBA and LNT principles while mountain biking

Additional Information About Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions

Where is Cottonwood Gulch located:

We have a 540 acre base camp in Thoreau, NM, about 2 hours west of Albuquerque. We are based at basecamp June through mid-August and spend the rest of the year working from our office in the North Valley of Albuquerque.

What are some of the challenges and rewards of the job?

It can be challenging to live in community 24/7. Since we are an unplugged program, communication with friends and family back home can be challenging. We do have an office at our basecamp, but both internet and phone service are very limited. Letter writing remains the best method of communication. Additionally, our basecamp is a very rustic setting with open air cabins, no electricity, and pull string showers, which can be challenging for some. 

It is also a very rewarding job which allows for an outdoor lifestyle with a like-minded group of people. Our staff have the opportunity to explore the Southwest, spending nights out under the stars, and making meaningful connections with people of all different backgrounds.

How long does seasonal employment last?

Staff contracts can last anywhere from ten weeks to twelve months.

What are the top 10 reasons that staff love working at the Gulch?

• Group of coworkers who are interesting, fun to work with, and are part of a passionate community.

• Making meaningful connections with people from many different places and backgrounds.

• Getting to go to some “hidden gems” of the Southwest and doing cool stuff in amazing places.

• Part of your job is facilitating mandatory fun times.

• Learning skills applicable in your own life and gaining resilience.

• Sharing your knowledge and passion with others.

• Being part of a staff team that is committed to sustainable, outdoor living.

• Getting to make a difference in the lives of young people.

• Countless number of desert sunsets, nights spent under the stars, and that smell of rain in the desert.

• Cottonwood Gulch is a different kind of outdoor education organization that isn’t just focused on wilderness adventure and personal development, but instead includes science, nature, art, and culture.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, and national or ethnic origin. The organization's nondiscrimination policy applies to all phases of its employment process, its admission and financial aid programs, and to all other aspects of its educational programs and activities. 

DEI Statement: 

Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions believes in the learning, growth and healing that cantake place in the outdoors. We also recognize that access to programs likeours—along with access to any green space, clean air and water, and healthyfood—continues to be a privilege rather than a right. CGE recognizes that in outdoor spaces, the voices and work of people of color, people from working class backgrounds, indigenous people, women, and LGBTQ+ folx have been often overlooked and marginalized. We also recognize that these communities must be centered in the work we do as an organization moving forward. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities and of those who are members of other historically marginalized communities.