"In wilderness
lies the preservation of the world"
..................................................................Henry
David Thoreau.
The best thing you can do for the environment is to discover it .....then
show it to others.
Whether it be for personal challenge, leadership training or professional
certification, outdoor education programs offer all participants the awe,
inspiration and encouragement to live more sustainable lifestyles.
Here's a look at schools which help lead the way:
National
Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
Headquartered in Wyoming. NOLS is a non-profit educational institution teaching
wilderness and leadership skills, with an emphasis on conservation. Courses
range from 10 to 95 days in length, and take place at eight branches in seven
countries and on five continents. Skills covered range from backpacking and
sea kayaking, orienteering and mountaineering, with many more skills available
in a wide wide variety of courses.
Outward
Bound
Outward Bound is a nonprofit adventure-based education program that develops
confidence, leadership, responsibility and wilderness skills through outdoor
challenge and accomplishment. Courses types include mountaineering, mountain
biking, sailing, sea kayaking, whitewater rafting, canoeing, backpacking,
dogsledding, backcountry skiing/snowboarding and rock climbing. Environmental
stewardship and Leave No Trace skills are taught on all courses.
Courses in the US are for ages 14 - 65+ and range from 4 to 81 days.
Colorado
Mountain College
The CMC Outdoor Recreational Leadership program offers adventure with
extensive training in leadership development. A two-year program offers
an Associate in General Stuidies - Outdoor Recreational Leadership degree
which is directly transferrable to several four-year colleges in the state.
Offers a wide variety of outdoor education courses.
Wilderness
Awareness School
Based in Duvall, WA. Offers training in the wilderness arts, including tracking,
bird language, survival and native living skills, traditional herbalism, and
naturalist mentoring. Program choices include home-based, residential courses
located in WA and VT, youth programs and national workshops and expeditions.
"Our mission is to preserve and care for the natural world by fostering
people's understanding and appreciation of nature, community and self."
SOLO:
Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities
Located in Conway, NH. Offers training programs and professional certification
in wilderness/rural/disaster emergency medicine, rescue and leadership. Offers
instruction to individuals, guides, mountain rescue teams, and staffs from
other outdoor education programs, including the National Park Service.
Colorado
Mountain Club
Offers courses and seminars throughout the state in many subject areas, such
as first-aid, hiking, climbing, skiing, camping, flyfishing, photography and
more. The Mountaineering Education Program includes wilderness trekking, avalanche
school, winter camping, rock climbing, ice climbing and leadership.
Audubon
Expedition Institute
Located in Belfast, ME. Offers an accredited environmental studies program
with students traveling in and studying different bioregions of the U.S.,
Canada, Mexico, Bahamas and Hawaii. Degrees offered: M.S.-Environmental
Education, M.S.- Ecological Teaching and Learning.
Breckenridge
Outdoor Education Center
Located in Breckenridge, CO. Offers outdoor learning experiences to people
of all abilities, including people with disabilities, those with serious
illnesses and injuries, and "at risk" populations. The Wilderness
Program offers single and multi-day experiences, and individual enrollment
adventure trips. Their Adaptive Skiing Program offers varied skiing experiences
for people with special needs. In operation since 1976.
CanAdventure
- Wilderness Adventure for Struggling Teens
Located on Vancouver Island, BC Canada, CanAdventure Education is a wilderness
adventure camp program that engages struggling teens in education, cultural
awareness, skill development, and personal growth. CanAdventure offers
an experiential curriculum that educates struggling teens through hands-on
learning and wilderness adventure in a world-renowned environment.
Tom
Brown's Tracker School
Tracker school is located in Asbury, NJ with associated courses in CA
and FL. Students learn the basics of tracking, stalking, nature observation
and wilderness survival. "If you are looking for a closer attachment
to Earth Mother and the skills and philosophy that will help you live
in harmony and balance with Creation, then come join us." Available
to ages 18 and over.
Ancient
Pathways
Desert survival and bushcraft living skills. Programs are designed for
those seeking to develop proficiency in both primitive and modern wilderness
skills. Courses are held throughout northern and central Arizona and at
an outfitted basecamp near the Painted Desert, one hour from the Grand
Canyon.
Temagami
Wilderness Center
Located in Ontario, Canada. The Temagami District comprises more than
5000 square miles of pristine wilderness. Guided canoe trips, outfitting,
winter activities such as snowshoeing and dog sledding. Instructional
courses provided at the School of Expedition and Adventure Leadership.The
SEAL program is a 97 day, all-inclusive semester program.
Centre
for Outdoor Education
Located in Alberta, Canada. Situated in the Canadian Rockies, the Centre
offers year-round outdoor educational programs in rock climbing, mountaineering,
caving, kayaking, skiing, ice climbing, wilderness safety and more. Customized
programs are available for individuals or groups.
American
Mountain Guides Association
Located in Golden, CO. The AMGA offers training courses and guide certification
exams in three disciplines: rock, alpine and ski mountaineering. The programs
address the needs of guides working in the mountains, and are structured to
be completed sequentially over a two- to three-year period. The first step
is a guide program, then an advanced guide course, followed by a certification
exam.
Nantahala
Outdoor Center
Located in western North Carolina, NOC provides instruction in whitewater
paddling, mountain biking, adventure racing, wilderness first-aid, and
river rescue. Other offerings include whitewater rafting on six rivers,
group teambuilding programs, retail and mail order operations, and worldwide
adventure travel.
Bay
Area Wilderness Training Program
Located in California, BAWT offers professional wilderness
leadership training workshops with an emphasis on safety and esteem-building
for adult youth workers. Course completion allows free access to an equipment
loan system so that youth organizations may outfit their groups for trips
of their own - free of charge.
Jack
Mountain Bushcraft & Guide Service
Based in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Jack Mountain Bushcraft & Guide
Service offers realistic courses in wilderness living and survival, traditionally
outfitted and guided canoe and snowshoe trips, and the Earth Skills Semester
Program (ESSP), a twelve-week course in traditional wilderness living
and travel skills. All programs open to ages 18 and over.
Virtual
Mountain Wilderness School
Located
in New Hampshire's Monadnock region. Mentoring in wilderness skills, nature
awareness, primitive technology, permaculture, alternative building, solar
energy systems and self development. Dedicated
to helping people regain their knowledge of Self, and of the Earth, so
they may experience the woods and themselves with a completely new perspective.
Wilderdom:
Outdoor Education Research & Evaluation Center
Based in Australia, this is a website which provides a wealth of information
about the ins and outs of organized outdoor education programs with smatterings
of eco-philosophy, etc. "There's probably enough to get lost in and
maybe find oneself again."
IslandWood
Graduate Residency in Education, Environment and Community
Located in Bainbridge
Island, WA. Offers a Certificate in Education, Environment, and Community
from the University of Washington. Working with students, educators train
to create learning environments that offer children the opportunity to
gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of both human and natural
communities.
Camp Summit
Located in Squamish, BC, Canada. Outdoor education and adventure camp providing experiential education and leadership programs. Overnight summer camping for kids & youths from 7 to 17.
......
. ... . .. .. .. ."In
the end, we will conserve only what we love.
.. .... . . ...... . . . ..We will love only
what we understand.
. .. .. .... . ... ... .. .We will understand
only what we are taught."
.....................................................................Baba
Dioum, Senegalese Conservationist
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