New Custom LNT Master Educator Course

NOLS Professional Training has custom built a Leave No Trace (LNT) Master Educator Course specially designed for front-country issues and techniques. The course, scheduled to run June 10th-13th, will take place in Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, Minnesota, and is open to all.

With 19 identified archeological sites identified, the park is steeped in Native American history dating back to the Archaic period.

This is a great opportunity for teachers, naturalists, park rangers, recreation planners, scout leaders, and other outdoor educators to improve Leave No Trace teaching skills while experiencing the unique treasures found at Kathio.

WRMC Workshops - Choose Your Session!

We are excited to announce the 2009 Wilderness Risk Management Conference workshops. This year we have a wide array of new speakers and workshops! Risk Management Issues in the Digital Age,  Hands On Discovery Workshop and Practice with Depositions, Designing and Managing an Effective Staff Training, and The Role of Medical Directors in Risk Management just to name a few!

Registration for this year's exciting conference is open, so plan ahead and join us in Durham, North Carolina!

Astronaut Grunsfeld On NOLS - From Space

Here is a recent post by NASA Astronaut John Grunsfeld on the "NOLS Share Your Leadership Story" web page. 

From the International Space Station:

This space mission to the Hubble was by far the most complex and difficult of my expeditions to space. We spent over 3 years planning, preparing and training to make the repairs and upgrades to the telescope. The success of our mission can only be attributed to this preparation, and training, and more training. Everyone knew their role and strived for excellence. We knew we'd make mistakes, and planned for it. After all we're all human. The goal was to trap the mistakes early, resolve the issue and then to move on.

The satisfaction we have of leaving Hubble with more capability for science and exploration than it's ever had is huge. My entire crew is NOLS trained--starting with my WRW in '74, when Paul Petzoldt was in the lumberyard, to our Hubble Crew training by NOLS Pro, the NASA Sea Kayaking Leadership Expedition in Alaska in 2007.

Thanks,
John Grunsfeld

Kellogg School of Management goes to Patagonia with NOLS

Students from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University successfully completed a NOLS backpacking course in Chilean Patagonia. The seven-day outdoor expedition focused on honing leadership skills in a wild and spectacular location. Marketing, strategy, and finance student Allison Yang stated she will return to her MBA program with newly refined decision-making styles, helping her professionally at her job at Proctor & Gamble:

"If you can figure out how to cross rapid-flowing, waist-deep rivers or how to bushwhack through almost impenetrably dense brush on extremely steep inclines, then you can figure out how to turn around a declining business or bring new innovation to a category—they both require dedication, brainstorming, and teamwork."

NOLS Graduates in Space

Last night, NASA's space shuttle Discovery successfully launched into space with crew STS-119 on board for their mission to install the final set of solar arrays on the International Space Station.

All seven astronauts have completed NOLS courses, practicing leadership and expedition skills to prepare them for missions in space. These courses were custom designed by NOLS Professional Training for NASA astronauts as part of their two-year training for spaceflight.

Read about the mission on NASA's blog or follow them on Twitter.

Of Leadership and Weather....

So, I’m walking down the hall the other day into the nerve center of NOLS Professional Training. You must realize that at NOLS Headquarters each deptartment has its own identity and sense of flair. In NOLS Pro it’s along the lines of  “do excellent work, but have a blast doing it.” Well, on this particular day, I noticed on the whiteboard the quote “failure is not an option” attributed to Gene Kranz of the Apollo 13 mission. When I asked about it, I was informed that the department has adopted it as a motto in response to the current economic situation facing our country and marketplace. I smiled, thinking to myself what a classic NOLS response that was.

One of the specific leadership skills we teach at NOLS is tolerance for adversity and uncertainty.  By nature as an organization we excel at this skill. We have had ample opportunity to master it while spending years in the field suffering through storms and making navigational decisions without full clarity of the environment. So when the economy suddenly pulls a u-turn, we hunker down, tolerate the uncomfortable, take stock, and acquire a Zen-like patience for the unknown.  NOLS is an organization that flourishes during crisis and challenge.  It almost seems odd, but we are known for our ability to successfully put ourselves on teams and expeditions in the harshest environments, in the remotest locations on Earth, and accomplish great things. This is because we have a high capacity for the skill of tolerance for adversity and uncertainty.

Crazy circumstances are always going to show up in our professional and personal lives–much like weather does on NOLS courses. The skill of practicing tolerance for adversity and uncertainty is crucial to navigating the challenges. Leaders and organizations that practice this skill will actually flourish.  “Weather” becomes indistinguishable as good or bad, it just represents a changing environment while en route to accomplishing our goals. 

Bering's Credits NOLS for Business Success!

Last year, Augie C. Bering V, executive vice president of the Houston-based Bering's retail stores, contacted NOLS because he had a vision for a more engaged and accountable management team, and a need for a more accurate inventory system for Bering’s.

NOLS Professional Training ran two, two-day Leadership Navigation Challenge programs for all 40 department managers with an emphasis on peer problem-solving and accountability. The result: Bering’s has stayed profitable. “If it weren’t for the NOLS training,” says Augie, “we would have been hit really hard by the economic downturn.”

“This year, when we completed the inventory process, it was almost perfect," says Augie. "In fact, we had to add money to the bottom line. That’s a $400,000 savings from 2007. We did see a dip in our sales, but increased efficiency mitigated 75% of our downturn. The main reason we are doing so well, and why this new plan worked, is because of the NOLS’ training.”

'04 NOLS Grad Sponsors Kosher Expedition

Jon Kimchi, a climbing instructor for the Cornell Outdoor Education Program, is sponsoring a NOLS backpacking course for Orthodox Jewish males ages 14–18 scheduled to run June 29–July 22, 2009. Jon graduated from a 2004 Teva Adventure course run by  NOLS Professional Training.

"My NOLS expedition is the most significant life-changing experience I have ever had,” he says. “It has guided my direction in life by providing me the skills to succeed professionally at Cornell and facilitating my spiritual connection to the outdoors."

Jon is currently working to enroll the 2009 Kosher Leadership Expedition, which is scheduled to run this summer:  June 29–July 22.

Jon's custom NOLS expedition is open to all Jewish males interested in having a transformational NOLS experience while living in accordance with the Jewish calendar and observance of Jewish laws. To enroll, contact Jon:

Jon Kimchi
jewishnolsprogram@gmail.com
347-831-2894

LNT Affiliate course to run for Saudi Arabia's Government

NOLS is excited to run a Leave No Trace Affiliate Master Educator course for the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) this coming week.

The NCWCD approached NOLS Professional Training to set up the course with the purpose of "conserving the biological diversity and beauty of the Kingdom's natural heritage."

NOLS Grad Scores Lacrosse Captain Position

Congratulations to Andy Tormey, who was selected to be the new captain of the United States Naval Academy lacrosse team. This past summer, Andy participated in a NOLS Professional Training course specially designed to develop the leadership skills of Naval Academy midshipmen. The full story of Andy and his new position as lacrosse caption was posted in a recent article in Laxpower.

Andy had this to say about NOLS: "The NOLS experience was a tremendous opportunity for me personally and there are certainly different aspects of the program I'll be able to pass on to my teammates."