.Making a Difference.

With the sun shining through the clouds on just about the seventh straight day of rain we had the official presentation of the 84 solar panels, which were installed on the roof of the Rocky Mountain Branch in December of 2007.   There was a great gathering of folks from Creative Energies, Rocky Mountain Power, the community and here from the branch.   Visitors and guests were greeted with a look at the panels, an interactive informational board about alternative energy, and a few little presentations.   To see this step towards environmental awareness, alternative energy options, and a proactive response to pollution was fantastic.  Once again NOLS is taking active steps towards the future and staying true to what is believed in. 

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WMI WFR in WSJ!

If you're wondering what a Wilderness First Responder course is like, check out this recent article in the Wall Street Journal. Although Mr. Ybarra incorrectly refers to the course as a "wolfer"--say it with us, it's "woofer," like your dog would say--he does give an insightful account of his course in Moab. Not only that, but he highlights the scenario-driven, hands-on education that is a hallmark of any WMI course.

Head on over to the Wall Street Journal for more!

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40 pounds or bust

NOLS was recently featured in a podcast on BackpackingLight.com regarding our efforts to lighten packs at NOLS Rocky Mountain (and schoolwide). Tune in to learn more about the ways we're getting our school to lighten up. You'll hear interviews with Tod Schimelpfenig, Curriculum Director for the Wilderness Medicine Institute, and Drew Leemon, Risk Management Director for NOLS, and more!

Former NOLS Editorial Intern Nicole Chilton had a hand in putting together these interviews for Backpacking Light--just another example of the exciting places NOLS internships can lead!

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Swinging the links

One Tuesday the 20th of May a great turn out appeared over at the Lander Golf Course for the 6th annual NOLS Rocky Mountain Golf Tournament.   Teams were placed together according to varying skill levels and all sent out onto the course for nine holes of best ball.   When folks reunited on the deck of the clubhouse the winning team consisting of Gary Cukjati, Rachel McNary, Don Webber, and Joe McGowan stepped forward to collect their prizes and soak in the cheers from fellow employees and friend.  A wonderful gathering this was, fun for all and once again another great round of golf.

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Hello and Farewell

A big Rocky Mountain WELCOME to our new summer intern, Abe Goodale!  Abe originally hails from the great state of Maine.  Recently, he's attended the University of Utah where he studied Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with an emphasis in Experiential Ed and a minor in ceramics.  We are thrilled to have Abe a part of our RM team.  From the sounds of it, he's got mad art, frisbee, photography, skiing and good human being skills.  Abe will be joined by two other interns, Sara and Chris, in early June.  Stay tuned. . .

Sadly, two weeks ago, we said goodbye to our spring RM interns, Sandy Bandhu and Jared Pangretic.  The RM is a better place because of these two and we already miss their daily shenanigans and positive influences.  Sandy is back in NYC and looking into a number of next adventures.  No doubt, he will find something interesting and contribute positively.  Jared will be joining the ranks of the NOLS bus crew!  We look forward to seeing his blogs as well as his face back in Lander in July.

Sandy and Jared would like you, our readers, to know that they are legends among legends. . .uh huh.

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Risk Management Tips from NOLS Professional Training

Are you looking for the best ways to manage risk at your outdoor organization? Let NOLS Professional Training help you out! Our Risk Management Training programs will give you everything you need to create a comprehensive plan for your organization.

Here are a few tips from our risk management curriculum regarding waivers:

Participant agreements (also known as waivers)

A thorough participant agreement forms include two components that each are valid unto themselves:
1. A thorough description of risks in your program; and
2. A release of rights to bring legal action against the organization for acts of negligence.

Your participant agreement should be written in clear, easy to understand language. Have a legal counsel review your participant agreement. Ideally use a legal counsel who is familiar with recreation law.

Participant agreements are one of the most common questions by organizations who are working on their risk management plan.

To take part in one of our trainings, contact Liz Tuohy, Risk Management Senior Consultant at (307) 335-2217!

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Learn more about NOLS through a webinar!

Do you want to learn more about NOLS through a fun, interactive presentation? Would you like to attend one of our events, but live too far away? A webinar just might be the perfect solution for you.

Last Wednesday, we hosted our first-ever public webinar and it was a total success! For those of you who have never attended one, it works like this: when you sign up, we give you the web address for the presentation. Then, at the appointed time, you call a phone number we'll give you when you register and direct your browser to the web address. From there all you have to do is sit back and relax while Semester in the Rockies grad Matthew Copeland gives you an in-depth look at the NOLS world, telling you who we are, what we do, and what the outcomes are.

One participant in last week's webinar gave the following feedback:

"This has been a great event, I hope you continue to offer such innovative opportunities for those of us not fortunate enough to live in Lander."

We'll be hosting another webinar this coming Tuesday, May 13, at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (that's 9:00 a.m. for those of you on the West Coast, and 12:00 p.m. for you East Coasters). You can register for this upcoming webinar here. We hope to see you there!

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NOLS Grad's TV Show Airs Next Week

On Tuesday, May 13, check out NOLS grad David Breashears’ new film, “Storm Over Everest” on PBS’ Frontline. Breashears came to NOLS at the age of 15 to do a Rocky Mountain adventure course and has since summited Everest five times. He has spent his life climbing mountains and credits NOLS with getting him started.

“Storm Over Everest” tells the story of climbers trapped on Everest by an intense storm in May 1996. Breashears was filming the first-ever IMAX movie on Everest at the time and aided in the rescue of climbers stranded by the storm. Hear survivors discuss the remarkable stories of those that made it down and the unfortunate loss of those that didn’t. We’ll be watching here in Lander, and we hope you will, too.

To find out what time it’s on near you, check out your local listings.

Check out the trailer here:

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Grad finds a new career with NOLS

Elyse Guarino wasn't necessarily looking for NOLS when she found the school. "I was in transition in my life and was looking for a direction," she said. "I overheard a conversation that helped me decide what to do."

As it turns out, that conversation was pretty influential. A little more than a year after taking a course at NOLS Southwest, Elyse finds herself employed there full-time. It began with a three-month internship after completing her course. This fall, she'll return to the Southwest as Outfitting Manager.

Read Elyse's full story in her home paper, the News Transcript!

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Woolly Buggers

On April 26th and 27th NOLS Rocky Mountain (RM) held the annual fly-fishing seminar. It was instructor by Jim Ferguson, George Hunker, Molly Semenik, and Alan Pirie. George owns and operates his own guiding service, Sweet Water Fishing ; in the summers Alan lends a hand.  Jim co-owns Patagonia Fishing, and Molly runs Tie the Knot Fishing.  With the combined effort the 25 students were in for a highly energetic and informative class. Half of the class was spent inside and the other in the field.  On Saturday afternoon the course took it to Lucky Pond for some hands on experiece.  Catching one fish, since NOLS thoroughly supports catch and release, they were taught how to clean and cook the fish on a whisperlite stove.  Also, involved was sifting the water to find what insects live there. The insects were identified in an entomology class and matched closely to the tackle box.

On Sunday, the majority of the day was spent learning how to fish rivers.  The students were split up, matched with an instructor, and brought to various fishing locations.  There the cast, reading rivers, finding holes, and LNT principles were perfected.  Several students caught fish, but like any angler many did not!

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