They're here...

NOLS Rocky Mountain has pulled out its secret weapon: Summer Interns.  They have come to help out and everybody  is excited to have life restored to the branch.  Lara McCluskey, Special Projects Manager, was quoted saying, "They have really been an amazing addition to our workforce.  With their hard work and humorous attitudes, I don't know how we got anything done before they got here."  The interns come from a diverse array of backgrounds, including goat farm workers and mountain bike experts. They hail from places as far as Vermont and Georgia and enjoy climbing, slacklining, and turtles.

Rocky Mountain Interns, clockwise from top: Rhodes Berry, Sarah Reid, Matthew Celesta, and Rob Johnsen.

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Cast your Comments on the Green River

Click here to e-mail your comments on Utah's Green River to the Forest Service through the Utah Rivers Council Action Center.

NOLS students have a long, proud tradition of floating the Green River. Since the first course floated these free-flowing waters in 1988, the Green has been one of our most extensive and diverse river classrooms. The scenic, geologic, historical, cultural, recreational, and natural values that make this river unique have been impressing us and our students for years.

Now, the USDA Forest Service in Utah is examining all rivers within its boundaries for wild, scenic, and recreational values. This is the first, critical step toward eventual congressional designation of a river as wild, scenic, or recreational, providing the waterway with protections from industrial development and other impacts. The first miles of the Green that flow below Flaming Gorge dam, on the Wyoming/Utah border, are within the National Forest System. This stretch of the Green has received a preliminary designation of “scenic,” and the Forest Service is accepting official public comments on potential designations for this and other rivers across Utah. For details on the Forest Service's timeline, guidelines, and background, visit the offical website.

Public comment periods are congressionally-mandated opportunities for citizens to influence the outcome of public land management decisions. The Forest Service is required to consider each comment it receives before making a final decision. If you would like to weigh in on this compelling issue, visit the Utah Rivers Council action page. Keep in mind that the Forest Service values comments that are site-specific and relevant to the study.

The Utah Rivers Council has set up a convenient web page to allow members of the public to submit comments. Though there is a pre-written letter you may sign on to if you only have a moment, you have the option of editing the letter to ensure that the comments you submit are your point of view. Remember, the comment period ends June 30, 2007, so if you would like to participate, act quickly!

Thank you for your time and participation. Remember, an active and involved citizenry is the key to a successful democracy.

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Welcome To NOLS Alaska Video

Check out the brand new NOLS Alaska welcome video on YouTube. It shows what your first day there will be like and a preview of the gear you'll use.

 

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NOLS Annual Fund Calendar Photo Contest

It’s Back! We are having our second NOLS Annual Fund Calendar Photo Contest! This year we are excited to be giving away a Patagonia Micro D-Luxe Hoody to each winner!!

Each year, the NOLS Annual Fund produces a calendar for our graduates and supporters showing the vast reach and impact that donated dollars have. Last year we held our first photo contest for the 2007 NOLS Annual Fund Calendar. It was such a smashing success that we are doing it again!

The deadline is in a few short weeks (July 15, 2007) so check out the details at:

http://www.nols.edu/alumni/giving/nolsannualfund/nafnews.shtml.

If you have any questions, please call Jennifer Connell at 800-332-4280.

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Catching up with NOLS Instructor Buddy Gurnari

The NOLS Rocky Mountain interns caught up with instructor Buddy Gurnari, who was busy getting his students ready for their Naval Academy Wind River Range Leadership Expedition.

How did you start at NOLS?

"I heard about about NOLS many years ago while reading a story in Outside Magazine. I worked in an outdoor survival program in the military as a U.S. Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Specialist. After retiring 2003, I took a NOLS Professional Instructor Course with Cody Paulson and Kate Koons this past fall."

Number of courses taught?

"This will be my fourth and longest - 26 days covering 100 miles in the Wind River Range. It will be a combination of backpacking, fly fishing, and rock climbing."

Outdoor values?

"Leave No trace, respect for wildlife, and teaching."

Best part of leading a NOLS course?

"I like the way the students eyes light up when teaching them something new about the outdoors."   

Buddy Gurnari, NOLS Instructor

Naval Academy students lay out their gear to pack for their course.

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NOLS Rocky Mountain works on reducing its carbon foot print one pedal at a time

Bikes are out in full force at NOLS Rocky Mountain. Sunday kicked off Bike-to-Work week and Lander is trying to log as many commuter miles as possible. Last year Lander placed third in the state for number of participants and overall mileage.  Biking is something that NOLS promotes and encourages everyday for staff in order to reduce its overall carbon footprint.

NOLS has free bikes for staff to get around town. All of them are a signature color of canary yellow and come with a basket and lock. NOLS staff use these bikes to run errands, go to our international headquarters, and even take afternoon rides along the Popo Agie.

Rhodes Berry, summer intern, rides merrily to NOLS Rocky Mountain.

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Timbuk2 and Inc. Magazine take on NOLS Pro

With beautiful weather ahead of them, the newly formed management team of Timbuk2 bags headed out of Lander on June 13th to begin a NOLS professional course into the Wind River Range. Much like Timbuk 2’s custom “build your own” bag, their management team has helped to create a custom designed NOLS professional course to strengthen the bond within  their group. The NOLS curriculum incorporated into their Rocky Mountain Leadership Expedition is easily transferred over into the business world. The seven NOLS Leadership skills, competence, communication, expedition behavior, tolerance for adversity, judgment and decision-making, self-awareness and vision and action create an environment that can allow a business to run smoothly and efficiently.

Alison Wellner, an editor for Inc. magazine, is joining their expedition. Inc. magazine delivers advice, tools, and services to help business owners and CEO’s. On the Timbuk2 Rocky Mountain Leadership Expedition Alison is going to observe how NOLS professional courses help a newly formed management team work well together. The Timbuk2 management team including Alison will be backpacking though the Wind River Range with opportunities for multiple peak ascents. Once they are confident in their leadership and map reading skills they will set off on independent student group travels with out an instructor to guide.
Click here to find out more about Timbuk2.
Click here find out more about Inc. magazine.

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NOLS Grads in Space

On June 8th the space shuttle Atlantis took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying four NOLS professional grads, including pilot Lee Joseph Archambault, mission Specialist John D. Olivas, Sunita Williams, and Clayton C. Anderson. The nine member crew has already guided the shuttle to the international Space Station (ISS) where, they have docked and are preparing to assist the current ISS crew in deploying some solar arrays. At NOLS the astronauts were taught leadership and expedition skills to help them on missions to space. NOLS and NASA have been operating since 1999. For more information about this mission click here.

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NOLS Mourns the Loss of a Great Statesman

After a fight with leukemia, Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming passed away on Monday. He was 74.

An exemplary leader who consistently provided strong leadership for the state, Senator Thomas left a legacy to be proud of. His tireless energy, intimate understanding and appreciation of Wyoming and its people, his vision for our state’s future and his compassion were qualities that made Senator Thomas stand out among elected officials.

"Senator Thomas was a good friend to NOLS," said NOLS Public Policy Director, Jen Lamb. "He could always be counted on to be thoughtful and honest. Sometimes he supported NOLS’ position on an issue and sometimes he didn’t, but you always knew that he would listen, formulate an opinion and honestly communicate it.” Senator Thomas was especially helpful in NOLS' work advocating for protection of the Wyoming Range.

We offer our condolences to his family and friends and our appreciation for the lifetime of service he gave to our state, our country, and the people of Wyoming.

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WMI Curriculum Update

Hydration is a hot topic around this time of year, and with good reason. In recent years, the gear market has become saturated (pardon the pun) with so many different hydration systems and supplements that it can be hard to make the right choices.

                

Am I drinking enough? Too much? What about temperature? Wilderness Medicine Institute Curriculum Director Tod Schimelpfenig explores these questions and others in WMI's Curriculum Updates.

The Wilderness Medicine Institute is a division of NOLS. Focusing on Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT classes, WMI helps keep NOLS at the cutting edge of wilderness expedition education.

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