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Justin Padgett, WEMT
Justin Satterfield Padgett is Executive Director of Landmark Learning, a training service for outdoor educators based in Western North Carolina.. Justin holds a Masters of Science degree in Training and Development from Western Carolina University and is a National Registered EMT-Paramedic with an active role in emergency medical services since 1994. Currently he is affiliated with Westcare EMS serving the mountain communities of Jackson County, NC. Instructing of wilderness medicine since 1996, he also has over 15 years of trip leading experiences in the areas of mountaineering, rock climbing, rope course facilitation, rafting, whitewater kayaking, and caving. As an Instructor Trainer for the American Canoe Association and a
the Starfish Aquatics Institute, Justin is well versed as an expert in water safety and risk management. Justin has been a traveling trainer internationally in the field of outdoor education for the past eleven years and is well known for his presentation style, humor and anecdotes. www.landmarklearning.org

Mairi Padgett, WEMT
Mairi Stone Padgett is a Director at Landmark Learning. Mairi is a WEMT and wilderness medicine instructor with over 20 yrs of experience leading trips and educational courses in remote places. She enjoys small-scale homesteading practices (gardening) while rediscovering the outdoors through the eyes of
her two-year old daughter, Ellie - an avid flower-picker who looks just like her daddy(but cute!)

Asa Pape, WEMT
Åsa has a teaching degree from Uppsala University in Sweden and taught Physical Education and Swedish at Junior High School in Sweden for eight years. Since 1996 she has also worked as a guide and wilderness educator for the adventure company Crossing Latitudes. She has led sea
kayaking and hiking trips and expeditions in Sweden, Norway, Greece, and Honduras. She has been a WMI instructor since 2005 and is teaching both in Scandinavia (in Swedish), and in the U.S. (mostly in English:-). In her free time she skis the back country of Montana.

Sascha Paris, WEMT
Sascha is the Sierra Club's Outdoor Activities Training Manager, designing and facilitating leadership and program manager trainings for the Club's volunteers around the country. He has been working for WMI since 2000. Between Club training events and WMI courses, Sascha estimates he works with over 500 students annually. In 1990, Sascha got his start leading and managing sea kayaking and backpacking trips in Baja and the Sierra through UC San Diego's Outback Adventures Program. He then spent the next five years living the dream: living out of his 1966 VW Bus (formerly the family van that he grew up camping in!); leading and managing sea kayaking and mountaineering expeditions in Baja and Alaska for Outward Bound; guiding kayaking trips in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaching WMI courses around the west. Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sascha spends his free time playing outside with his family and scheming ways to train his daughter and nieces to be his eventual big wall climbing and sea kayaking partners.

Viren J. Perumal, WEMT
Viren was born in Thailand, but grew up climbing and kayaking in the Southeastern U.S. He started guiding climbing in the early 00's, and has worked in almost every aspect of the outdoor industry over the past decade. Viren moved to the sierra in 2004 and lived in Yosemite teaching field science to school groups. Viren has guided rock, ice, and alpine ascents in the North Cascades, Canada, Alaska, Red Rocks, and in the Sierra. His favorite place to climb is in the Eastern Sierra where he now spends his summers with his wife Julie hunting splitter granite cracks. Viren is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, has completed the Alpine Guide Course (6/10) and is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Course Director. He also teaches Wilderness Medicine courses and is a WEMT/ NR-EMT-B. Viren is a LNT Master Educator, and has completed an AIRIE Level II Avalanche Course. During the school year Viren teaches a variety of technical skills for the Adventure Education Program at Prescott College in AZ.

Steve Platz, WEMT, PA-C
Steve Platz is a Physician Assistant in Lander, WY. Before having a "real job" (where they keep track of how many days off you have) he taught for Cornell Outdoor Education, worked as an EMT Critical Care Technician, instructed for NOLS and called a storage locker home while traveling and teaching for WMI. Steve is best known for his behavioral problems lectures on WEMT courses. As a biology major at Cornell University the only thing Steve knew for sure was that he DID NOT want to study medicine. When time allows he chooses to kayak, climb and run.

Amie Podolsky, WFR
Amie Podolsky has worked as an outdoor educator since the mid 90's. Her resume includes teaching at an outdoor science school, guiding backpacking trips, and four years as the program director of a wilderness adventure summer camp. She has an M.S.W. from the University of Denver and currently works with committed youth. She is motivated as a WMI instructor by her passion for outdoor education and wilderness travel.

Kelly Pyke, WEMT
Kelly has been working in the outdoor education field since the early 00's. She has been teaching for WMI since 2005 and loves the opportunity it provides her to encourage and empower students to serve others and pursue their dreams. Her passion for wilderness and international aid work has led her to many places throughout the country and around the world as a guide, ranger, educator and medic. Her current base camp is in Woodland Park, Colorado, where she lives with her husband, Eli, and dog, Tassie.

M. Shaun Quinn, WFR
Shaun Quinn has worked at NOLS since 2001 leading trips in sailing, whitewater rafting, hiking and sea kayaking at the branches in Mexico, Pacific Northwest, Teton Valley and Rocky Mountain. Prior to NOLS he worked as a raft guide in Colorado and West Virginia while maintaining an avid love for telemark skiing.

Steve Rasmussen, WFR
Steve has worked in outdoor education since the mid 90’s. He worked as a river guide and managed a rafting operation on the Kern River in California for over 10 years. He earned a BS in Natural Resources Interpretation and a teaching credential for earth science and math from Humboldt State University. He taught math and science for a couple of years but soon found his way back to his passion in the outdoors. He has recently bought a house and is settling down with his wife in Portland, Oregon where he instructs for REI Outdoor School, works at an REI, and still leads river trips in the summer.

Atila Rego - Monteiro, WEMT
Atila has held various administrator jobs at NOLS from Program Manager at the southern NOLS Patagonia base in Magallanes and in NOLS Brazil from 2005-2009 to Assistant.Director at NOLS Patagonia from 2001-2004, and NOLS Mexcio Director in 2004-2005. Atila resigned from the program Manager position at NOLS Brazil in 2009 and resides in Brazil. He also has been a field instructor at NOLS since 1992 with 260+ field weeks, and has worked for WMI since 2002. He has been a WEMT-B since 2005 although he was a EMT-B in California from 1990-1993. In between he maintained a WFR with WMI. His passion continues to be working in Latin America for NOLS and WMI (Mexico, Chile, and Brazil). He loves teaching WMI courses in Spanish and Portuguese. Besides, Mexico, Patagonia and Brazil/Amazonia he has taught in Alaska, Australia, the Rocky Mtns., and India with NOLS and WMI. He has worked (and continues to work) principally paddling courses for NOLS, but is pretty excited about dedicating time to being a Dad and growing the WMI program in Brazil these days. He has lived in Sao Paulo since 2008 but can't wait to move back to Rio and get closer to the beach in Rio de Janeiro and, yes, he sometimes still brushes the dust off his paddle to hone his "rusty" padlding skills.

Gates Richards, WEMT
Gates Richards has been involved in outdoor education and EMS since the early 90's. Over the years he's worked outdoor programming throughout the Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest and Alaska. He's worked urban EMS in Washington, DC; Seattle, WA; Gunnison County, CO; and is an Intermediate EMT in Lander, WY. Gates began teaching for WMI in 1998 and now bears the title of WMI Special Programs Manager. In past lives he has been a dust collector, Rebel Without Applause, asthma researcher, and minor deity to a little-known civilization in the North Pacific. We're awaiting confirmation of that last one. Gates, his wife and their children live in Lander where they can be found running, biking, skiing and fishing. But not at the same time.

Rachael Knapp Richards, WEMT
Rachael started working for WMI in 2001 after having spent 10 years as a mountaineering instructor for NOLS and Outward Bound. Her mountaineering career took her to Chile, India, Alaska, China and beyond. Her time with WMI inspired her to return to school for a nursing degree, and she has worked as an RN in the Maternal Health Unit at Lander Regional Hospital. Rachael also sits on the boards of the ABS Foundation and Confluence Foundation in Ketchum, ID, working with grant seekers from around the globe. When she's not working, Rachael can be found skiing, biking and playing with her husband and kids.

Jo Rolls, WEMT, PA-S
Jo Rolls (ne Richards) is a Wilderness EMT and Physician Assistant who spent much of the last 11 years pursuing no end of seasonal work in Colorado. This included coaching and teaching snowboarding, mountain and climbing guiding, working as an EMT in an emergency department and working as a medical assistant to a cardiologist. Also, throughout her time in Colorado, Jo was a member of Routt County Search and Rescue. Jo and her husband moved to Salt Lake City 3 years ago and she is currently a Family Medicine Physician Assistant and Program Faculty at the University of Utah Division of Physician Assistant Studies.  In her spare time, Jo teaches WMI courses, races mountain bikes and reads trashy novels. Jo is living happily on an urban farm in SLC with her husband Eric, dog Buck, 3 chickens (referred to collectively as Chickens) and 12 pheasants (referred to as Kids or Dinner depending on the season).

Pete Ryan, WEMT, Paramedic
Pete has spent his life in outdoor education. From summer camp staff as a teenager, to teaching in Colorado State University’s Experiential Learning Program as an undergraduate, to directing the Outdoor Adventures program at the University of San Diego, Pete has experience with many age groups and multiple disciplines. Along the way, Pete earned a BA in social science, and an MA in leadership studies. Pete currently makes his living as a firefighter-paramedic, and still finds time to teach rock climbing, mountaineering and avalanche courses with Mountain Adventure Seminars in Bear Valley, California. His favorite nut is the cashew.

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Kris Salisbury, WFR
Introduced to the outdoors before she could walk, Kris loves to return the favor to young people, especially girls. She has been working with teens in the outdoors for 20 years and earned her MA to pursue her passion for creating transformation through the use of wilderness. Kris was introduced to wilderness medicine in 1999. She became involved with WMI because she appreciates WMI’s educational philosophy and experiential methods. When she has a break and is not building her house, she heads out to climb, backpack, paddle and play! When she grows up, she aspires to being a vagabond and wandering throughout the rest of the world.

Eric Sanderson, WFR
From the North Georgia area, Eric loves being outside and spending
time with groups who share his passions of the outdoors. Eric
graduated from Georgia College & State University in 2007 and has been working as an outdoor educator in a variety of outdoor programs from recreational to therapeutic ever since. In 2010, Eric accomplished his lifelong dream of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. When not teaching classes for WMI, Eric works at the REI Outdoor School sharing his love of the outdoors with everyone who will listen.

Joy Sather, WEMT
When Joy is not working as a Trail Crew Supervisor, Wildland Firefighter, Ski Patrol, Racing her Downhill bike, Skiing, or Riding Horses she teaches for WMI. She feels at home in the backcountry and enjoys the spending time with her friends, family, and dog Sadie, and her horse Red Feather.

Iris Saxer, WEMT
"I've always had a passion for traveling in remote places and working in the wilderness," says Iris Saxer, describing a career that has taken her around the world. Her most recent adventure was four months in Antarctica studying penguin populations. While there, she was able to provide medical care to a co-worker who spoke only Spanish, reducing his shoulder dislocation since outside medical care wasn't an option."My wilderness medical training," says Saxer, "has given me the ability to calmly handle all emergencies, whether near or far from help."Saxer's interest in outdoor education began at Cornell University, where she taught virtually every course offered by the Cornell Outdoor Education (COE) program, eventually serving as COE's Associate Director. After nine years as a field instructor for NOLS, she finds WMI the perfect place to combine her passions. "I decided," she says, "that helping other people gain solid emergency care skills is the most worthwhile thing I can do as an educator."

Jake Schepps, WEMT
Since beginning teaching for WMI in 2001, Jake has had the fortunate opportunity to teach for WMI around the world, from Thailand to New Zealand to Lander, Wyoming. He is a senior lead instructor for WFR's and WFA's, and has taught several Instructor Training Courses fro WMI. Jake additionally is spent five years of leading NOLS field courses around the Intermountain West, in canyons, on rivers and around mountains. Jake now lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife Gillian and two beautiful daughters. Jake also is a professional 5-string banjo player, writing, recording and performing instrumental string band music. He leads a group called the Expedition Quartet, and his music can be heard at www.jakeschepps.com.

Mike Schiller, WEMT

Mike works for International Mountain Guides, LLC in Ashford, WA as Chief Administrative Officer and President of the Rainier Division. Mike is an Eagle Scout, Wilderness EMT, and graduate of a NOLS Outdoor Educator course. He has summited numerous mountains on five continents, and once walked from the lowest point to the highest point in the continental United States. Mike has a keen interest in outdoor leadership, wildflowers and wild edibles. Prior to joining IMG, Mike founded and was Executive Director of Venture Outdoors (www.ventureoutdoors.org), a non-profit whose mission is to promote outdoor recreation in western Pennsylvania. Before that he co-founded Confluence Technologies, Inc., a provider of software to the mutual fund industry. Mike is a native of Pittsburgh, PA, has a BSE in computer science from Princeton University and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Tod Schimelpfenig, WEMT, FAWM
As a NOLS Instructor since 1973 and a volunteer EMT on ambulance and search and rescue squads since the 70's, Tod Schimelpfenig has extensive experience with wilderness risk management. He has used this valuable experience to conduct safety reviews as well as serve as the NOLS Risk Management Director for eight years, the NOLS Rocky Mountain School Director for six years, and three years on the board of directors of the Wilderness Medical Society, where he received the WMS Warren Bowman Award for lifetime contribution to the field of wilderness medicine. Tod is the founder of the Wilderness Risk Manager’s Committee, has spoken at numerous conferences on pre-hospital and wilderness medicine, including the Australian National Conference on Risk Management in Outdoor Recreation, and has taught wilderness medicine around the world. He has written numerous articles on educational program, risk management and wilderness medicine topics, and currently reviews articles for the Journal of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. Additionally, he is the author of NOLS Wilderness Medicine and co-author of Risk Management for Outdoor Leaders, as well as multiple articles regarding wilderness medicine. Tod is currently the Curriculum Director of Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS.

Jen Schones, WFR
Jen currently lives in her dream town of Bend, OR where she enjoys mountain biking, skiing, whitewater rafting, and hiking. Jen has been working as an educator since the early 00's, and has run various outdoor programs in and around Oregon and Colorado and led backpacking trips in the Pacific Northwest, Utah, and Alaska. She has also been seen playing on a ropes course, teaching middle school math, and traveling overseas as much as her budget will allow. Jen has been working for WMI since 2009 and enjoys the dynamic nature of wilderness medicine, the relationships that are built on WMI courses, and the high level of motivation that is seen among her students. Jen also has a passionate love affair with Dr. Pepper, burritos, and her husband, Tim, although not necessarily in that order. She also enjoys vast amounts of sunshine and laughing.

Brandon Schwartz, WEMT

Best labeled as a general educator, Brandon has taught a wide variety of students ranging from 4th graders to college graduate students and adults. In his past he has worked as NOLS senior staff in Alaska and sailed traditional sailing vessels offshore in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Currently, Brandon spends his summers teaching WMI courses, preferably near high quality surf breaks and single tracks trails. Put skis on his feet and he turns into a machine, spending his winters as an Avalanche Forecaster at the Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee, CA.

Amy Shambarger, WEMT
Amy has been teaching community and workplace CPR and first aid classes for over 12 years along the Front Range of Colorado. She got the teaching bug as a college teaching assistant while attaining a BA in Chemistry. A wilderness first aid class and Outward Bound course redirected her energies following a stint in a clinical lab. When not coordinating cycling and hiking trips in adventure travel, she volunteers as an EMT with a fire department. Free time involves cycling, XC skiing, and reading gear catalogs.

Heather Shannon, WEMT, Paramedic
Heather has a degree in physical education with a specialization in athletic training. She has been certified as an athletic trainer with the National Athletic Trainer's Association (NATA), and holds a master’s in organizational leadership with an emphasis in adventure-based teambuilding. Her background also includes serving as an officer in the US Army at Ft. Lewis and a stint working in "corporate America." Since completing her master’s degree and transitioning into the outdoor world, Heather has led extended expeditions for a wilderness program in the high desert of Oregon and been a commercial mountain guide in California, Mexico and South America. She also instructs courses for NOLS in Alaska and the Rocky Mountains.

Matt Shaw, WEMT, Paramedic
Matt found his passion for the great outdoors while growing up in Chicago. After realizing that Chicago did not offer the “full experience” Matt moved to Flagstaff, AZ where he worked as a mountain guide and took his first WFR where he discovered his true passion, medicine. Matt is currently a full time Paramedic in Flagstaff and whose true passion involves anything cold, high, and covered in snow... summer sports are just a way to pass the time for him. Matt lives with his lovely wife and their two dogs. As a side note, Matt was in his first professional publication at the age of 10 when he was honored as a Lego Maniac.

Mike Shaw, WFR
Mike has been working in outdoor education since the mid 90's. In this time he has led canoeing, kayaking, caving, climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, and dogsledding expeditions. He is a senior field staff at NOLS and is currently teaching Experiential Education at Albuquerque Academy. Mike has a BS in adventure education from Northland College.

Jayson Simons - Jones, WFR
Jayson hails from beautiful Crested Butte, CO, and began teaching for WMI in 2003. He first started working in the outdoor education field as an instructor and course director for the Colorado Outward Bound School. When not teaching for WMI, Jayson divides his ample free time between being a ski patroller, avalanche forecaster & instructor, and as an AMGA trained and senior guide for Crested Butte Mountain Guides. When free time does materialize, he does everything he can to ski, climb, drink beer, play music, and anything else outside under the sun and stars.

Brett Simpson, WFR
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Brett has been working in the field of experiential education since hte late 90's. Brett currently lives in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and is the Executive Director of a college based leadership training program known as Quest. In addition to running east coast based programs for Quest, Brett has led climbing, trekking and biking adventures in Peru, Mexico, Ecuador and Ethiopia.Prior to his time with Quest, Brett held a wide range of jobs in the outdoor industry working with other colleges along with organizations such as the US Forest Service and Outward Bound. Brett has worked for WMI since 2003.

Thea Sittler, WEMT

Thea has worked as an educator for the last 8 years, teaching a variety of topics ranging from chemistry to sea turtle biology and rainforest ecology to backpacking skills and wilderness medicine. Having taught in a variety of settings, her favorite classrooms have one thing in common—they are outside in beautiful places! Originally from New England, Thea made her way west and south working with a variety of schools and educational organizations. She began instructing with NOLS in 2008 and later joined the ranks of WMI.

Sean Smith, WEMT
Originally from the Pacific Northwest Sean has migrated in the years to Montana, California, and is currently residing in Las Vegas pursuing his Masters in Exercise Physiology. Sean has worked for collegiate outdoor programs such as the University of the Pacific, UCLA, and currently at UNLV. Sean is very happy to only live 20 minutes from the climbing mecca known as Red Rocks. Throughout the year he is a volunteer with Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s Search and Rescue team and a ski patroller (yes there is skiing only 45 minutes from downtown Las Vegas!) at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. He is a certified LNT Trainer, trained in technical swift water rescue, and Avalanche Level I. Sean is proud in the fact that he was the first 5 year old ever to have been suspended from his ski school.

Chris Sparks, WEMT
Chris Sparks spends most of his time outside, usually wandering the mountains and rivers as he backpacks, climbs, and fly-fishes. He has worked in public schools, outdoor science schools, and led backpacking trips and trail crews. He is a WEMT with a passion for trailwork, traveling, and anything out-of-doors.

Matt Stauffer, MA, MD, FAWM
Matt has brought his experience in the outdoors and medicine to the students of WMI since the late 90's. He has worked as an educator and leader for various companies, including NOLS, in some of the world's great wilderness settings. His favorite topic in wilderness medicine is altitude illness after numerous expeditions to the high mountain ranges of Asia and South America. Matt is currently an emergency department resident physician at Michigan State University/ Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies in Kalamazoo, MI.

Catherine Stifter, WEMT
Catherine spent 7 years as a captain with an all-volunteer fire and rescue service in rural northern California. Typical ambulance ETAs were 45-50 minutes. And she says it wasn’t unusual to hike through the national forest, snowshoe to remote homes or rappel into river canyons to do patient care. Stifter’s teaching background includes 7 years directing National Public Radio’s Journalism Training Program. She appreciates the solid curriculum of each WMI course and the regular updates on changes in the field of wilderness medicine.

Dusty Szymanski, WFR
It all began very young, building treehouses and various forts in the woods. Two principles that have remained true, building and being in the wilderness. He bagan camping at the age of 2 and grew up fishing, camping with family and outdoor pursuits with a active Boyscout Troop. Dusty began a career as a Carpenter in the 80's, and found more and more time to hike, climb, and just be in the mountains. In 1994 he was introduced to NOLS through an outdoor educator course and returned to successfully complete a NOLS Instructor Course in 1995. Through NOLS he was introduced to WMI and feel in love with both the people and the dynamic teaching approach.

Dusty started with WMI in 1996 in Pitkin CO. The office was a few folks above a garage and a handful of brave road warriors. He studied and trained under the best teachers, Learning the WMI way of things. From town to town, season to season, year to year he taught all levels of courses and trained new instructors as they came in the ranks. He has taught all over the western US as well as India and Nepal. In the WMI off season Dusty has worked as a NOLS field Instructor, Outdoor educator for other programs and a Carpenter. Dusty lives in Gunnison, CO running his own small construction company and still teaches part time throughout the year. "Whether you are a student or staff WMI changes the way you will travel in the wilderness, interact with others and enrich your life as a human!"

Shana Lee Tarter, WEMT, FAWM
Shana was a student in the first WMI course in July 1990. She joined the WMI instructional team in 1995 and currently serves as WMI's Assistant Director. She has had the great fortune of teaching for WMI in exciting locations such as Japan, Australia, Hawaii and Oklahoma. She is an EMT-Intermediate and volunteers with the Lander ambulance squad. In past lives she worked as the Associate Director of Cornell Outdoor Education, a NOLS Field Instructor, a geologist and an archaeologist (dug up 300 skeletons in one summer). She is learning Chinese in order to spend a year there teaching and doing medical volunteer work with her family.

Gareth Tate, WEMT
Gareth splits his year between the east coast and west coast but calls Asheville, NC home. He grew up on a goat farm in the foothills of North Carolina and went to college in the mountains where he now lives and plays for "most" of the year. He graduated with a double degree in Wilderness Leadership and Ecology and has since gathered extensive experience leading and organizing outdoor programs and is an instructor in several disciplines such as whitewater kayaking, alpine skiing, swift-water rescue and wilderness lifeguarding. His passions are in expedition creek-boating and adventure racing as well as downhill mountain biking and back-country skiing.

Lance Taysom, WEMT, RN
Lance Taysom has many fun jobs: whether it is teaching Leave-No-Trace to Boy Scouts, intubating a trauma patient in the back of a helicopter or battling pulmonary edema at 17,200 feet. Working with WMI students is one of the most rewarding jobs I perform. Wilderness medicine lets me combine my knowledge of medicine with a lifetime of outdoor experience. People are interesting. Each individual has a unique and personal learning style. Helping someone grow from new experiences and learn to be confident in their ability to asses and manage patients, in all kinds of conditions, is a highly rewarding challenge. I began teaching for WMI in 1994. What continues to attract me to WMI? The curriculum is based on real science. The instructor and administrative staff are skilled professionals who practice what they preach. The board of directors are recognized leaders in their respective fields of expertise. We teach sound principals, encouraging the students to apply their own experience and judgment when managing patients with serious injuries and complicated illnesses. On top of all that, they pay me for traveling to spectacular locations spending time doing what I love with my friends!

Ben Tettlebaum, WEMT
Ben grew up on a farm in mid-Missouri and has held a love for the land ever since.  Since those childhood days on the farm, travels have taken Ben to every state and around the world.  Work includes a stint as an interpretive ranger in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, a senior instructor at Second Nature Therapeutic Wilderness Program, and time served behind a desk running the outdoor program at Mohican Outdoor Center for the Appalachian Mountain Club.  Ben took time off from running around the wilderness to run around inner cities after starting a not-for-profit organization in 2004.  He has been a NOLS field instructor and a WMI instructor since 2006.  Currently, he works full-time as an attorney, primarily practicing environmental law.

Tim Thomas, WEMT
Tim has been working as an outdoor guide and instructor since the 80's, in locations ranging from Nepal to New Guinea. A native of Colorado, he currently calls Durango home where he teaches in the Adventure Education Department at Fort Lewis College. Additionally, Tim works part time for the Outward Bound & National Outdoor Leadership Schools, instructing wilderness medicine, mountaineering, rafting and sea kayaking. He also works on expedition ships in the Antarctic Peninsula as a naturalist as well as taking guest?s sea kayaking and camping. Ships work also finds Tim taking passengers on cultural tours off the West Coast of Japan. Along with his many years in the field teaching and instructing, Tim is also an avid outdoor adventurer and traveler. Spending the turn of the millennia at the South Pole and summiting Mt. McKinley in Alaska are among his favorite achievements. Sharing his passions is his job. He has earned numerous guiding certifications and licenses and holds a bachelors degree in Japanese Language and Literature from the University of Colorado.

Buck Tilton, WEMT
Buck co-founded the Wilderness Medicine Institute and, although currently sort-of-retired, serves as chair of the WMI Medical Advisory Panel and teaches courses now and then. He writes a lot, authoring, among other literary efforts, the WFR text, which got an award for excellence in medical writing). He received the Paul Petzoldt Award for excellence in wilderness education and the Warren Bowman Award for contributions to wilderness medicine. He lives in Lander, not far from the office.

Adam "Scooter" Timm, WFR

Originally from New Hampshire, and currently calling Brevard, NC home, Scooter has been working in the outdoor education field since the late 90's. During this time he has lead expedition-based mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater and flat-water canoeing, sea kayak andbackpackingtrips, primarily with the North Carolina Outward Bound School. He began working for WMI in 2011, mostly through Landmark Learning in the southeast. When not working for NCOBS, WMI or Alpine Towers, where he does ropes course construction and facilitator training, Scooter can be found tinkering on old cars, brewing beer, riding motorcycles, hanging out with Brevard Rescue Squad or scheming to find a way into the drivers seat of a Baja 1000 vehicle.

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Ben Urmston, WEMT
Ben has worked in outdoor education since 2001 in places such as Maine, Wyoming, Washington, Florida, British Columbia and Baja, Mexico. His degree in aerospace engineering has served him well in working out the details of sail theory, climbing anchor forces and hypothermia. When not instructing in the outdoors, Ben works as a soccer coach at a school for the Deaf in Massachusetts. Ben's ideal expedition would combine wilderness medicine with surfing, climbing, mountaineering and snowboarding and include sailboats, airplanes, and a moon rockets!

Leslie van Barselaar, WFR, WMI Marketing Coordinator
Leslie has been working for NOLS since 1973 as a Field Instructor in mountaineering and hiking, caving, sea kayaking, sailing and horsepacking. She and her husband David Kallgren were NOLS Branch Co-Directors in Kenya '79-'81, and in Mexico '86-'00. She worked for WMI as the WMI staffing coordinator from November '06 until November '08, and then swtiched positions, working currently as the WMI Marketing Coordinator. She took the very first NOLS Advanced First Aid course offered by NOLS back in 1978 taught by Tod Schimelpfening and Janet Ross. She met Melissa Gray and WMI in the 90's through the every two year refresher WFR program. She holds a BS in Outdoor Education through the BDIC program from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. In her spare time she works as an Equine Massage Therapist.

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Amy Waeschle, WFR
Amy Waeschle spent 5 years working as a field instructor for NOLS and other outdoor programs before going back to school for a Master's Degree in Teaching. After a few years teaching middle grade science and math in a rural school, she missed the freedom and hands-on style of outdoor education and returned to NOLS to work for WMI. Currently, Amy is a Course Leader for the Wilderness First Aid program. She has taught for WMI in locations close to her home town in Mt. Vernon, Washington as well as in far-off sites such as Hawaii and St. Louis. She is an avid adventure-hound, with recent trips to Morocco for surfing and the Selkirk Mountains for backcountry skiing. Her latest adventure includes a sabbatical to Sicily, Italy, where she and her husband will live and work for 3 years.

Eric Wakild, WEMT, MA
Tarheel born and tarheel bred, Eric started in education by teaching high school science in rural south Texas with Teach For America.  During his summers, he led expeditions in Costa Rica and Alaska for teenagers.  After finishing a Master's of Arts in Adventure Education with Prescott College, Eric transitioned to a university outdoor program for three years.  He has been a NOLS field instructor of backpacking and sea kayaking since 2008, and loves sharing wilderness medicine all over the southeast with Landmark Learning. 

Pete Walka, WEMT, paramedic
Pete grew up in the outdoors, rafting, kayaking, skiing, and climbing at every opportunity.  Turning his passions into a career, he spent years guiding, worked at a university outdoor program, managed a climbing gym, owned a bit of a rafting company, and worked as a park ranger/paramedic at Grand Canyon National Park. He earned his WEMT certification in 1993 and his bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University in 1994. He later obtained his masters degree in forestry with an emphasis in recreation impacts from Northern Arizona University.  Pete has been a WMI instructor since 1999, and has sponsored dozens of WMI courses as the owner of the Flagstaff Field Institute. Pete lives in Flagstaff with his wife and daughter and works full time as a Battalion Chief/Paramedic for a hospital-based EMS agency.

Rob Walker, WEMT, RN
Rob lives in Bend, Oregon where he has worked as an ER nurse, on Life Flight and most recently in the Cardiac Lab. Along with his partner, Karen Holm, he has bicycled from Seattle to Bolivia, paddled a home-built wooden sea kayak from Glacier Bay, Alaska to Washington’s San Juan Islands, made the first complete traverse of Chile’s southern channels by sea kayak and explored the Yukon and Alaskan Arctic by pack canoe and on foot. When not on personal adventures you can find him leading courses for the National Outdoor Leadership School and the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS where he has been an instructor since 1998. Visit his website at: www.mountainminded.com.

Jacob Wallace, WEMT, MPH
Wallace was born and raised in the corn fields of Iowa where he learned how to fix fences, build barns and generally thrown hay bales large than cows  with ease. Commonly proclaimed as too wide for many things in life, this "broad as a barn" chested farm boy has trouble fitting through slot canyons, into reasonably sized shirts, and through small doorways. Life has been nothing but an adventure for this mate, as he has lived in several Patagonian countries working as a mountain guide and river guide, skied and taught elementary school in Seattle, worked as a wilderness medic in Ecuador, completed a Masters in Public Health in Iowa, and dabbled as a carpenter and bike builder on the side. In addition to working for WMI, he works as a professional mountain guide which takes him around the world to beautiful mountains and rivers alongside amazing people. His love for the outdoors started early as his dad took him climbing at age 2 and skiing at age 3, and he was hooked instantly. For him life is meant to be lived as an exclamation! and loves putting life into his years amongst the graces of incredible friends and family. His passion for youth and his zest for the outdoors is what brought him and the other three co-founders to bring their non-profit Beyond Adventures to fruition. Wallace loves sunrises and sunsets, a good campfire among friends, skiing in big snow, climbing tall rocks,  fresh cookies with milk and driving tractors. 

Terri Watson, WEMT
Terri began working for NOLS as a field instructor in 1990, and as a WMI instructor in 1997. She teaches WFRs and WFAs, as well as a handful of custom courses. Trained as a U.S. Army pilot working overseas in remote areas, an avid expedition sailor, and then a NOLS instructor, Terri has also worked as an EMS/SAR pilot with Air Idaho Rescue and Wyoming LifeFlight in the northern Rockies, as well as REACH Air Medical in Northern California. She currently works in support of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary in San Francisco, where she lives aboard her bluewater sailboat. Her background and interest in emergency medicine result from her involvement in remote activities where preparation, self-sufficiency, and adequate long-term assessment and care skills are mandatory. Terri first earned her EMT-B certification in 1983, and her WEMT-B in 1990.

Dave Weber, WEMT,Paramedic, FAWM
Dave has worked as a guide and instructor since the early 00's. In addition to leading courses for WMI, he currently divides his year working as a mountaineering ranger for Denali National Park, an instructor at the Khumbu Climbing Centre, the lead instructor at Remote Rescue Training, and a senior field instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School. Previously Dave has treated patients as an EMT, Urban and Wildland Firefighter, and ski patroller. He currently calls Salt Lake City, Utah and Talkeetna, Alaska home. Learning how to fly a Piper Cub is occupying most of Dave's free time and available brain space.

Missy White, WFR
Missy began her outdoor career canoeing the swamps of southern LA. Tired of the hot, flat and humid lands, she headed to Wyoming in 1988 and has lived there (or stored stuff there) ever since. A NOLS instructor since 1987, and a WMI instructor since 2003, she's traveled wide and far for work and for fun. Missy has caved, climbed, hiked and mountaineered throughout the Rockies, the PNW, Patagonia, Bolivia, and Alaska. Notable career events: finishing 4.5 days late in an attempt of crossing the Campo de Heilo but still smiling; teaching WFA's surf side in Hawaii; and surviving a trip to the strip in Vegas. As of June 2007, she'll have a MA in Organizational Development from Seattle University and is starting a leadership consulting business. She's an avid knitter, skate skier, dabbles in triathlons, gardens to excess, makes fabulous preserves and throws the ball (a lot) for her crazy dachshund

Shane Williams, WEMT
A veteran of wilderness-based trips and graduate of Western Carolina University,
Shane has led a variety of water-based programs throughout the southeast and Central America. As river guide and instructor, he guided on section 4 of the Chattooga; trained new incoming river staff at all levels; and led canoeing, kayaking, and river rescue clinics at all levels. During this time he also ledmulti-day and multi-adventure boating trips on the Rio Sico of Honduras as well as multi-adventure programs in Panama. Moving on to greener pastures, Shane has spent the last several years as the Outdoor Programs Coordinator of Western Carolina University Student Affairs Division and now has moved on to create the Dillsboro River Company. DRC is the lifelong dream of Shane and his family to own and operate a family rafting
company.

(W)EMT-B, ACA Swiftwater Rescue, Canoe, and Kayak Instructor

Steve Wiseman, RN, WFR
Steven received his initial wilderness first aid training from WMI in 2001. The course sparked an interest and after following winding trails throughout Colorado he found his way to the University of Colorado Hospital where he works as a nurse in the Burn/Trauma ICU. Prior to beginning his medical career in earnest he taught outdoor and natural science programs for organizations such as the High Mountain Institute and Gore Range Natural Science School. He proposed to his wife after she dealt with his idiosyncracies on an Appalachian Trail trip. Together they are working hard to raise a wonderful daughter whose first word was “happy” which they hope is an indication of her life so far. Steven parks his truck outside while his skis and bikes are inside the garage – which is an indication of his life so far.

Eliot Wright, WEMT
Elliott grew up in Northern New Mexico and Colorado. In Maine for college, Elliott pursued Conservation Biology and History while guiding trips with other students. After college Elliott traveled, studied, lived, and worked around the world. Today Elliott plants trees in Palo Alto California, and works as an Outdoor Instructor for REI leading one-day classes in Sea-Kayaking, Climbing, Cycling (Road & Mountain), Backpacking, and Navigation. He is a sailor, a trail runner, and typical all-around outdoor enthusiast. As a WEMT and NREMT-B, Elliott is excited to further his skills as an Instructor for WMI and NOLS.

David Yacubian, WEMT
David has been working for WMI since 2003. He has led expeditions for NOLS and other organizations throughout the West, Alaska, New Hampshire and Mexico, and has worked in the outdoor field since the ealy 90's. When not teaching for WMI, David works as the Risk Management Director for Yosemite National Institutes based in Sausalito, California. He enjoys spending time in the backcountry, on and in the water, and occasionally discussing the many positive attributes of his native New England. David enjoys teaching for WMI because his students listen to him and believe the vast majority of what he teaches.

Jeremy Yarbrough, WFR
Jeremy is the Program Coordinator of the Outdoor Adventure Living and Learning Center at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Experiential Education from the Minnesota State University, Mankato. As the program coordinator of the OA LLC, he leads trips covering a wide range of outdoor adventure activities, teaches recreation courses in the HHPR department, and provides experiential learning opportunities for students. He completed his WFA in 2004, WFR in 2005 and became a WMI instructor in November of 2011. He is passionate about teaching wilderness first aid in the Waco community, central Texas and the Southwest. His pursuits include backpacking, cycling, and challenge course facilitation, as well as a list of adventure goals to reach along with his wife and 3 kids.

Marc Yeston, WEMT
Marc loves to train WMI students. He took his initial EMT course in 1981 and became a Paramedic in 1983. After working for a few years in Denver, he took his experience into rural areas as a professional ski patroller and EMS instructor in Summit County, Colorado. As a river guide, and later as a river ranger, he had many opportunities to practice wilderness medicine. For the past sixteen years, Marc has worked in a variety of busy backcountry settings as a ranger with the National Park Service. He currently serves as the Canyon District Ranger at Grand Canyon National Park. Marc has been uniformly impressed with the level of care and ability demonstrated by the WMI graduates he’s encountered during actual backcountry emergencies. His desire to instruct for WMI came from those experiences. When not instructing, Marc can be found working in the field as a rescuer. He holds a BS in natural resource management and loves seeing the grandeur of the Four Corners region, as though for the first time, through the eyes of his young daughter. “She’s learning to kayak so I’m teaching her about shoulder dislocations.” Marc says.

Mike Zawaski, WEMT
Mike has been teaching for WMI since 2000.  As a scientist and science educator, he looks at the world in a different way than most people. This perspective helps him teach the critical thinking and scientific aspects of a WMI course in a way that helps prepare students for doing good wilderness medicine. Mike also teaches geology, meteorology, and astronomy at a community college; runs a non-profit that offers science education to the public and professional development for science teachers: www.ObservantNaturalist.org; and is excited to have just finished a book for The Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series entitled Snow Travel: Skills for Climbing, Hiking, and Crossing Over Snow.  Mike has been instructing for the Colorado Outward Bound School since 1995; this work has taken him up glaciated mountains, guiding multi-pitch rock climbs, rafting rivers, backpacking through canyons, and kayaking the ocean.  HIs synthesis of science and education occurs in the outdoors by helping outdoor educators and enthusiasts understand and enjoy the science of the world they see around them.

Lynn Zwaagstra, WEMT
Lynn is an avid boater and likes to hit the Colorado rivers each summer in both kayak and raft. Winter brings skiing with tons of Summit County powder. As Interim Director of Recreation for the Town of Breckenridge, Lynn works primarily in Recreation Administration. This puts to good use 17 years of experience in all areas of the recreation industry including outdoor recreation, fitness, wellness, aquatics, and special event planning. Lynn
has a bachelor's in psychology and a master's in recreation administration. As a NOLS river instructor course graduate, her love for the outdoors never ends. Lynn has instructed for WMI since 1999.

Arianne Zwartjes, WEMT
Ari comes to WMI and NOLS from a background in search & rescue, as well as outdoor education and guiding, and a little experience as a medical interpreter in Honduras. She has lived in China, Thailand, India, Israel, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and reports that Tucson is a great place to live for those interested in being able to rockclimb year round. After a cycling & climbing trip in Spain this winter, her current travel goal is a cycling trip across Mongolia. In her other life, she is a poet and teaches English and Creative Writing at the University of Arizona, where she has just finished researching & writing a book of lyric essays on medical trauma.