Partnerships that Meet Community Needs

Dead and down wood stacked and awaiting pickup
Partnerships That Meet Community Needs
July 2020 is the quietest July our Base Camp has seen in decades–no summer treks, no Rendezvous, no school groups–but we’ve kept
ourselves plenty busy. In addition to several infrastructure projects (see the base camp updates article for more details) and many discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion, we have been building and expanding partnerships to better serve our local community.

Ancestral Lands crew
In our last e-newsletter, you may have read about our food distribution work in partnership with the Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief effort. On top of that, we’ve identified another important resource on our property: wood. Many Navajo families within driving distance of Base Camp rely on wood for heating and cooking, and we have plenty to spare. Over the last 20 years, we have invested time and money to improve our forest health, which usually means selectively thinning overgrown stands of ponderosa, pinon, and juniper trees. Because of that thinning work, we have an abundance of wood lying on the ground.
What are we doing with that wood?

An Ancestral Lands crew member cutting
All the partners listed above–the Navajo-Hopi Families Relief effort, Ancestral Lands, and Chizh for Cheii–are grassroots organizations in need of funding. Cottonwood Gulch is also in need of funding to continue our side of the partnership, and if you’re able to support our partner organizations as well, we are confident your donation will make a big difference.