WMI to join NOLS

LANDER, Wyo. - April 21, 1999 -- The National Outdoor Leadership School has announced that the Wilderness Medicine Institute will become an institute of NOLS effective Sept. 1. This will further the school's role as the world's foremost wilderness educator.

WMI is the leading provider of wilderness medicine training in the western United States and is headquartered in Pitkin, Colo. WMI will continue to use its own name and will be known as the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School.

"This move is exciting," said NOLS Executive Director John Gans. "By bringing WMI into the NOLS family, we will be extending our mission as the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership. NOLS is committed to providing safe and enjoyable outdoor education. This blends well with our overall outdoor curriculum and philosophy. There are risks in outdoor experiences and we want to train people to minimize those risks and give them the tools for what to do when something goes wrong."

After working together for more than a decade, both organizations decided their respective missions would be greatly enhanced by this union.

"The whole will be greater than the sum of the parts" said Buck Tilton and Melissa Gray, co-founders of WMI, noting that the action will improve student service and staff quality.

There should be very few, if any, policy changes at either organization. The management of both organizations will stay the same and at least for the foreseeable future WMI operations will remain in Colorado. NOLS is also a primary sponsor of the nationally-recognized Wilderness Risk Management Conference.

To learn more about WMI visit their web site or read a recent article about them.

Press Contact:
Bruce Palmer
National Outdoor Leadership School
(307) 332-1230
email:bruce_palmer@nols.edu