Nature Deficit Disorder

A recent Plenty Magazine column on the health benefits of outdoor play and experience references Stephen Kellert's research on NOLS and other outdoor programs. Explore published research about NOLS and outdoor education here.

Is there concrete evidence for the health benefits of childhood nature play? — Plenty Magazine.

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Siskiyou Field Institute WFR

Wilderness First Responders, aka WFRs, are prepared to treat patients in any conditions. How do they get that way? They train that way! Even when western Oregon freezes over, WMI is there.

Watch as WMI students battle the elements to hone their skills in Selma, Oregon, at the Siskiyou Field Institute's Deer Creek Center.

Welcome to....Oregon? from John Hovey on Vimeo.

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Risk Management Training Winner Announcement

Congratulations to the Outdoor Leadership Program at Greenfield Community College for winning a free tuition for a NOLS Risk Management Training! Beth Sayers entered a drawing at the Association for Experiential Education Conference(AEE).

In its 25th year, the Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP) is the only one-year outdoor leadership certificate program in the United States that is accredited by the Association of Experiential Education and that offers comprehensive training in the technical and human relations skills necessary to lead adventure programs. With a unique system of competency ratings, OLP develops instructional and leadership skills each year in the 20 students accepted into this intensive learning community.

OLP sounds like a cool program!

Have a great week, and I hope to see you on a NOLS Risk Management Training!
Liz

Liz Tuohy
Risk Management Senior Consultant
NOLS Professional Training
307-335-2217

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Great Job OEF 1 & 2

The Fall Outdoor Educator Semesters have returned (OEF)! Congratulations to all the students for successfully completing three months of hard work and fun.  This last section has afforded them the chance to play in the snow, and practice their telemark skiing skills.  OEF 1 learned some tricks of the trade and remarked on how versatile the snow shovels are especially when building snow caves/shelters. OEF 2 found the avalanche evaluation and training particularly interesting. Fortunately, no one had to execute a rescue. Way to take it all in, and apply what you learned!
    Thank you to both semester groups for all your hard work this fall, NOLS Rocky Mountain really enjoyed your company, energy, and enthusiasm.  We wish you all safe travels and happy holidays!

OEF 1

OEF's working hard to unload the bus.

OEF 2

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The End of a Great Semester for Fall Semester Students, Five and Six has Come.

Congratulation fall semesters students five and six, ( FSR 5 and 6) you did it!  This past semester has flown by, and come to a climatic close with the completion of the winter section. Students were able to hone their back country winter skills in the Absarokas Mountain Range. They had the opportunity to shred  fresh powder while telemark skiing and pulling heavy sleds behind them.  Then they learned to both read and test the snow to avoid  avalanche conditions. And of course how to have fun in this winter wonderland.  Thank you everyone for the great times and memories over the past fall. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season. 

Fall Semester Five 2008

Fall Semester Six 2008

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NOLS in Minnesota

University of Minnesota's popular football team, the Gophers, was recently soundly shellacked by Iowa in their season finale. In an effort to comfort distraught Gopher fans, a cadre of hardy NOLS staff offered a smorgasbord of marketing and alumni activities in the Twin Cities area during the chilly closing week of the Gopher's season.

Shell-shocked Minnesota fans responded enthusiastically to our presence at the Midwest Mountaineering Expo where NOLS staff distributed information and conducted educational mini-seminars on wound care, adult education, avalanche transceiver use and backcountry nutrition.

Instructor and bon vivant Riley Hopeman was excited by the turnout at his afternoon nutrition seminar: "People asked great, detailed questions—it's obvious that there's a ton of outdoor activity all around the state and that folks are interested in NOLS' perspective."

NOLS also hosted an alumni reunion in Minneapolis. Reunions bring grads, families and prospective students together to connect, or reconnect, with the school and network with like-minded outdoor people. We had some good eats, saw a slide show on NOLS' recent alumni trips in Italy's Dolomite region, raffled off a whack of NOLS gear while being periodically serenaded by large, well-lubricated Iowa fans who were watching the Gopher game nearby.

We wrapped up NOLS' Minnesota blitz with an afternoon of discounted indoor climbing in St. Paul. Three-dozen grads, friends and family members (even some young students-to-be) enjoyed the chance to climb together in a top-notch (and heated!) facility.

We're thrilled to bring some educational pieces of NOLS to Minnesota and our growing community of alumni and supporters in the Twin Cities area. If you'd like to get involved with our Minnesota alumni group, or if you've got ideas on additional ways we can bring NOLS into your community, please drop us an email note.

Youbetcha Gophers!

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