Out to pasture - Look at 'em go!

  Out to pasture - Look at 'em go! 
  Originally uploaded by BradChristensen.

I visited the NOLS Three Peaks Ranch over the weekend and took some photos while I was there. I took this shot with my kite camera 'rig'. Thankfully there's plenty of wind at the ranch to keep the kite in the air. I may have been the only one at the ranch that was excited about how windy it was. By the way, the food at the Ranch is excellent! Marlow's banana bread may be the best I've ever had.

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NOLS Hires New Admin Director

The National Outdoor Leadership School is excited to introduce Scott Robertson as the new Administration and Program Outreach Director at International Headquarters in Lander, WY. Scott comes to us most recently from NOLS Southwest where he has been the director since 2002. Prior to that he was the Staffing Coordinator at Headquarters for three years and has been an instructor since 1996.

Talking to Scott recently, he was fondly remembering that it was just over 10 years ago, while he was working as an attorney and exploring the outdoors on his own, that he literally ran into NOLS.

“I was sitting on top of an unnamed peak in the Wind River Range, thinking for sure no one had ever been there before when a whole NOLS course climbs up the other side,” the 41-year-old Massachusetts native says. “So I chatted with the instructors and learned you could get paid for that!”

Getting paid for enjoying his passion, the outdoors, was enough to convince Scott to apply for an Outdoor Educator Course and his Instructor Course (IC) so many years ago. He has instructed numerous climbing and mountaineering courses, including semesters and IC’s, in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest since.

NOLS is proud to welcome Scott back to Lander as he starts his new position this month. As the Admin and Program Outreach Director he will be overseeing a diverse number of programs and departments here at HQ including the Wilderness Medicine Institute, NOLS Professional Training, Risk Management, Human Resources, and Public Policy.

Joanne Kuntz, Publications Intern

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College, My Way - New York Times

Link: College, My Way - New York Times.

Did you know that 60% of those graduating from college today have attended more than one post-secondary instutution? This article tells the stories of several recent graduates who attended a number of colleges on their way to a degree.

One of the students featured is Erika Cowley. She started at Ohio's College of Wooster. After taking a NOLS course she decided that she had a passion for the outdoors and started looking at environmental studies programs. She landed at Green Mountain College, a NOLS affiliated college.

Good deal, eh? Except the writer described us as "an Outward Bound-like experience". Aaaurgh!! The NOLS marketing director's nightmare. Is Outward Bound NOLS-like? Nope. Outward Bound courses "emphasize personal growth through hands-on experience and challenges." This quote is from the OB website.

NOLS focuses on wilderness skills, leadership and the environment. No other educational program does that. Period.

Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director

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Fishing for Excellence: NOLS & Orvis team for seminar

Over a gorgeous Lander weekend, about 25 NOLS staff teamed with experienced Orvis guides to learn tips, tricks, fundamentals and advanced fly fishing techniques.

This great training is part of NOLS' ongoing investment in instructor education, curriculum and high-quality fly fishing equipment. In partnership with Orvis, we're enhancing the angling experience available to students on NOLS Rocky Mountain, Alaska and Yukon expeditions.

Isn't it time you stalked the wily trout with NOLS?

/s/Rich Brame, NOLS Alumni Relations (click the pics to see their handsome mugs)

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