» Rooted in Ox-Bow

Operations Manager Aaron Cook shares his own history of life lived on Ox-Bow’s campus. by Shanley Poole

Aaron Cook first encountered Ox-Bow in the summer of 2011. What he remembers most about his initial visit was the way the summer light hit the campus. “The light was at its best . . . so warm and so inviting,” Aaron says. He initially came as a guest, visiting a friend who had landed a fellowship at Ox-Bow, but would eventually come to inhabit one of the most critical roles on Ox-Bow’s campus: Operations Manager. He describes his connection with the campus as “an instant thing.” After exploring the campus and trails, and even attending a Friday night costume party, Aaron knew he’d be back someday. In the summer of 2015, he proved himself right when he returned as a volunteer. By that fall, he was an official employee of “the heart of Ox-Bow,” more commonly known as the kitchen.

Aaron acknowledges that it was the land and campus that initially drew him to Ox-Bow, but it’s the people that have kept him here. There is one person in particular to whom Aaron gives credit: John Rossi. When Aaron assumed the role of Operations Manager in 2016, he began working alongside John. As both a mentor and a friend, John has taught Aaron how to “hold the campus up.” John, who has been a part of Ox-Bow since the 1990s, works as the Facilities Manager—though Aaron proposed the more fitting title of Master of Infrastructure and Magic. I asked Aaron if he could share any particularly memorable occasions with John and he recalled the infamous flood of 2019, noting that this crisis—which could’ve closed the campus down for the summer—was averted because of John’s clever work. “He’s the brains and the master of Ox-Bow,” Aaron said. “He’s one of the reasons I keep coming back.”

Like many of Ox-Bow’s staff members, Aaron doesn’t work on campus year-round. Ox-Bow is a place that, in his words, stays “in tune with the seasons.” During the winter and early spring, campus life and programming slow down. “Giving the natural landscape its credit is pretty important,” Aaron says, elaborating that the pause allows seasonal staff to return to the campus with a renewed vibrancy year after year.

Another sense of renewal comes from the Tallmadge Woods, which Aaron fondly calls “the perfect escape from the perfect escape.” His job description includes maintaining the trails, but he has also spent a good amount of time walking the Crow’s Nest Trail for leisure. It’s clear that Aaron’s care for the natural landscape has only grown over

the years. Shortly after the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) was discovered near campus, Aaron set out with a crew to inspect the trees surrounding Ox-Bow. Spotting HWA takes a meticulous eye because of its small size, but Aaron was vigilant and managed to spot the bugs on the underside of a hemlock branch. Once he found the first signs of infestation, the crew identified more throughout the area. This moment has led to fundraising efforts to combat the invasive species that preys upon the Tallmadge Woods’ dense growth of hemlock trees. Aaron notes that these efforts are a

Ox-Bow is a place that stays ‘in tune with the seasons’. ...the pause allows seasonal staff to return to the campus with a renewed vibrancy year after year.

crucial part of maintaining the spirit of Ox-Bow.

Throughout his time on campus, Aaron has worked in facilities, housekeeping, and the kitchen. These experiences have allowed him to intersect with almost every inch of the campus. When asked if he had a favorite building on campus, he didn’t hesitate before answering, “The Rob.” As the campus’s maintenance shop, the Rob “is an amoeba of a place that is always changing and accepts anything.” Likewise, it is a place that’s always giving. A regular afternoon in the Rob for Aaron consists of offering advice and loaning tools to those who wander in.

In many ways, the Rob serves as a microcosm of the entire campus: “Outside of the physical attributes, which we can’t take much credit for,” Aaron says, it’s the chemistry between the guests and residents of Ox-Bow that really fuels the campus. Over the course of meals, artist lectures, and volleyball games, the traditional barriers dissolve, allowing students, staff, and faculty to eat, learn, and play alongside one another. Simply put, there’s no other place like it. Aaron describes Ox-Bow as “its own community,” and anyone who spends enough time on campus knows that he is one of its key forces. Aaron goes beyond just tending to Ox-Bow’s facilities: he carries on its traditions and lifts up the community.

Say hi to Aaron (and his pup Juniper) if you see them on campus!

HELP US SAVE THE TREES!

What is the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid?

Michigan is home to an estimated 170 million eastern hemlock trees which provide important habitat and protect against erosion along rivers and streams. The hemlock woolly adelgid sucks sap from hemlock needles, killing needles, shoots and branches. Infested hemlocks become less vigorous and may turn grayish-green. Left untreated, hemlock woolly adelgid can cause tree death in 4-10 years.

The Tallmadge Woods boasts a significant population of eastern hemlock, but sadly they have been impacted by the nationwide hemlock woolly adelgid infestation. Present in at least 20 states, this invasive species has been found in six Michigan counties.

What can be done & how can I help?

Timely treatment of hemlock trees in order to eradicate the hemlock woolly adelgid is both urgent and expensive. If you enjoy spending time in the Tallmadge Woods and on the Crow’s Nest Trail, please consider contributing to the HWA remediation fund started by OxBow School of Art. The Crow’s Nest trail runs along the perimeter of our campus and this fund will help with the treatment and maintence of the trail/forest. We value donations of any size to help keep our woods thriving.