« April 2005 | Main | June 2005 »
Remembering PJC
On Sunday, May 29, 2005 a group of Patrick Clark’s friends and family gathered at NOLS Pacific Northwest to celebrate his life and send him on to his new adventure in “good style”. Patrick passed away on May 6, 2005 after a valiant two and a half year battle with esophageal cancer.
Patrick was one of the smartest people I have ever known, although he was always quick to point out that his wife, Lysanne was the brains in the family. Patrick earned a B.S. degree in Math and Physics at the University of Wisconsin before entering the graduate program in Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell University. While at Cornell Patrick worked on projects involved with the Viking mission to Mars.
After a stint teaching at Colgate University, Patrick began his NOLS career in 1984 as an instructor, working mountaineering and sea kayaking courses. In 1990 Patrick became NOLS director of information systems.
Patrick was a visionary. Information systems at NOLS in 1990 consisted of a few IBM Selectrics and one desktop computer. Where we all saw index cards, file cabinets and manila folders, Patrick saw a rich database that would allow the school to stay in touch with our graduates worldwide. He saw a world wide web that would help NOLS broadcast its educational message. He envisioned phones, computers and VOIP allowing all of NOLS far-flung educational centers to communicate in real time. Patrick was more than just “vision”. He put action to these dreams and made it happen.
Patrick was a conspirator. He would enlist a group of people, plant some ideas, give them some tools and let them go at it. In the mid 1990s Patrick sat down in my office and began trying to explain the internet to me. He had registered a domain for NOLS, www.nol.edu. I wasn’t sure that I really got it, but Patrick’s enthusiasm was infectious. It was hard not to be excited. Soon Patrick had his development team pulled together—me, a history major; T’bo, a graduate of the 82nd Airborne; Tommy, a journalist; and Dan, a NOLS instructor and biologist by education. In a few months www.nols.edu was born. It was one of the first 6,000 websites in the U.S.!
Patrick was an adventurer and he loved a challenge. He traveled to Antarctica, Australia, Puerto Rico, Baffin Island, the Waddington Range, Chile, Mexico, the North Cascades and Wyoming. Patrick approached his cancer in the same way he approached his backcountry adventures and his exploration of information technology. He assembled a team, learned everything he could, laughed a lot and didn’t give up.
Patrick lives. He is alive every time an email moves through the NOLS system confirming that all of the students have arrived in Patagonia for their course. He is alive every time a young person learns about adventure through a visit to the NOLS website. Patrick lives every time a NOLS instructor who worked in the field with him teaches an astronomy class.
Patrick lives on in all of us who had the amazing opportunity to learn from him, laugh with him and conspire with him to make NOLS a better place. Patrick had spirit and that spirit is with each of us.
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 31, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Reload!
The last few days have been action-packed ones for the marketing department as several new folks have joined the crew. Teal Maxwell has joined the NOLS Bus crew. Teal graduated on Sunday from Mount Holyoke College. Teal did a NOLS Baja Sea Kayaking course last winter. Teal's mom was a NOLS instructor in the 70s.
Alex Schirer graduated from the University of Utah last weekend and then beelined for Lander. He'll be joining Teal and NOLS Bus stalwarts, Jared Scott and Matthew Copeland. Alex graduated from a Spring Semester in the Rockies in 2004.
The "new" bus crew will be doing their first stop a bit later today when they visit North Elementary School here in Lander. Next week they leave for the Teva Mountain Games in Vail.
Sam Stevenson arrived yesterday to begin his internship working with Webmaster Brad Christensen. Sam is a student at Middlebury College. He was a member of the Project Biobus crew that visited NOLS in the summer of 2003.
Summer in Lander has begun. Yeehaw!
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 27, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
NOLS Bus back in Lander
The NOLS Bus has returned to Lander after finishing the Spring season in style. Saturday the crew spent the afternoon in Casper, Wyoming at Mountain Sports, a great shop that carries skis, snowboards, bikes and all the outdoor gear a person could want. Matthew says that had good attendence and two TV interviews. Not bad considering they were competing with a tractor pull!
Today is Ashley's last day. Ashley has been with the bus since the beginning, rolling out of Lander on August 14, 2004. Ashley is headed back to her hometown, Atlanta where she will spend the summer working with an outdoor education program.
Matthew and Jared will be continuing on with the Bus and will be joined by Alex, a NOLS Spring Semester in the Rockies graduate and Teal, a Baja Sea Kayaking course graduate. Alex graduates from the University of Utah this weekend and Teal graduates from Mount Holyoke on the same day.
The NOLS Bus tour continues in early June with the TEVA Mountain Games in Vail.
Brcue Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 16, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
NOLS on Science Channel
On Saturday, NOLS was featured on a special on the Science Channel called "Astronaut Diaries". It was the story of the training the Columbia crew received prior to their mission, including their 12 day NOLS course.
Some additional footage that didn't appear in the show is available on the Science Channel website. The clips give a bit of insight into the personalities of the crew.
Take a look!
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 16, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
NOLS Grad Receives Rowell Award
Jimmy Chin, a 1998 NOLS instructor course graduate, has been awarded the inaugural Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure. The Rowell Award honors an adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the people who inhabit these lands and regions.
Congratulations to Jimmy!
Download rowell_award_press_release.pdf
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 12, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Trippin' was Sweet
Got a chance to watch NOLS on MTV Monday night! This week’s episode on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem was hosted by NOLS. Cameron Diaz and friends spent time in Sinks Canyon and the Red Desert with several NOLS staff. NOLS received a great introduction and quite a bit of time was focused on Leave No Trace ethics and applicability to in-town life.
I was psyched with the way NOLS was portrayed and the great work done by the NOLS staff involved.
Sweet!
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 11, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Trippin' Tonight
Tonight at 10:30 PM Eastern Time NOLS will be featured on the the MTV show, Trippin'. In September, Cameron Diaz, BMXer Mat Hoffman, DMX and others joined some NOLS instructors as they explored a bit in the Wind River Range and the Red Desert.
So tonight after Inferno II don't touch that dial. Catch Trippin' with Cameron Diaz and NOLS!
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 9, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sad News
Last evening (Wednesday, May 4), we received the sad news that Jim Ratz, former executive director at NOLS died in a climbing accident in Sinks Canyon. Jim served as executive director from 1984 until 1995. Before that time he served the NOLS mission as an instructor and also as NOLS Alaska Director.
Under Jim’s leadership NOLS grew in both size and scope. The school was educating more than 2,600 students each year by the time of his departure in 1995. In 1990 NOLS Patagonia opened in Chile, in 1991 NOLS Southwest opened its doors and in 1995 NOLS Canada program launched as well.
NOLS national reputation increased during Jim’s tenure as the school took a leadership role in the Leave No Trace program and published, Soft Paths, which is still the authoritative book on minimum impact backcountry travel. NOLS launched its research program under Jim’s leadership and the school’s public policy role increased greatly with NOLS serving as a voice for the practical conservation of the school’s wilderness classrooms.
Jim also led the way as NOLS established relationships with its graduates around the globe. Alumni reunions reconnected graduates with the school and paved the way for development efforts to support the school’s scholarship and facility needs.
Our thoughts and sympathy are with Jim’s wife, Lantien Chu, and his children, Mei and Willy.
For memorial service information see the press release.
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 5, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
College of the Atlantic Signs NOLS Affiliate Agreement
The College of the Atlantic is the latest college to sign an affiliate agreement with NOLS. As a NOLS affiliate COA now offers direct credit for its students who attend NOLS. With affiliate agreements, articulation agreements and over 400 colleges that have accepted credit, more than 75% of our students of college age earn college credit while they learn outdoor skills and environmental ethics and develop their leadership.
Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director
May 4, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
