NOLS Blog
Lou Gordon: Three Decades of Influence
Louise “Lou” Gordon’s office in the Wilderness Medicine wing of NOLS Headquarters is tucked into the perpendicular intersection of two banks of offices, in the center of the activity but quiet and a little reserved. Like Lou herself. After more than 30 years, the last 6 1/2 as NOLS Wilderness Medicine’s Wilderness EMT Supervisor, Lou…
Climate Medicine: Where Climate Change and Healthcare Meet
Fires at wildland-urban interfaces—the transition zones where human development, such as houses and infrastructure, meets or intermingles with ...
Summer Travel Programs for Teens: Why Wilderness Expeditions Offer More Than a Passport Stamp
Most summer travel programs for teens promise adventure. A select few actually deliver it. Lila Sternberg There is ...
Staying Power
Shari Kearney didn’t just find a place at NOLS—as our longest serving female instructor, she has worked over 424 weeks in the field and influenced generations of students. Shari Kearney is checking on Three Peaks Ranch’s stable of horses, kept on pastures outside of Lander, Wyoming in the offseason. Each autumn, the horses—dozens of them—are…
Connection, Resilience, and Dal Bhat: Manaslu Circuit Alumni Trip 2025
In November 2025, five gentlemen, one lady, three guides, and three support staff met in Kathmandu in preparation for a two-week NOLS alumni trek on the Manaslu Circuit in Nepal. Although we were all strangers coming from different parts of the world, our shared excitement for setting foot in the Himalayas was palpable. During those…
Best Summer Programs for Teens: Outdoor Adventures That Build Leaders
Most teens will spend this summer doing something fun, but maybe not so meaningful. Not because they lack ambition, but because the summer camps available to them were designed to center around fun, rather than building long-lasting skills. The difference between a summer that fades and one that becomes a reference point — something your…
Case Study: Motion Sickness on a Surf and Dive Trip in Oahu, Hawaii
The Setting You’re leading a small group on a combined surf and introductory scuba trip on Oahu. The group is staying on the North Shore and driving early in the morning to a south shore harbor to meet the dive boat. The coastal road is narrow, hilly, and full of tight curves. Several group members…
Summer Programs for High Schoolers: Choosing an Adventure That Lasts
Every parent of a high schooler feels it: these summers matter. The window is short, and how your teen spends it shapes more than you’d think. The science backs that up. Adolescence, roughly ages 12 to 18, is one of the most significant growth windows a person will ever experience. It’s when teens actively figure…
The Complete Guide to Summer Programs for Teens
Each summer between high school years is about 90 days. For most teens, the time passes quickly — and how it’s spent matters more than it might seem at the moment. For parents thinking about how to help their teen get the most out of these months, a structured summer program is one of the…
Getting Kids Into the Outdoors Starts in the Backyard
A guy who’s required to know all of them is John Gans, the executive director of NOLS, which teaches survival skills, risk management, and leadership.
NOLS Joins “We Are Still In” Paris Agreement Coalition
On July 17, 2017, NOLS joined the “We Are Still In” coalition of Paris Agreement supporters within the United States.
Should You Become a Wilderness First Responder?
Many park rangers, guides, and outdoor enthusiasts become wilderness first responders, a certification offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).
How To Be a Nature Lover Without Leaving a Footprint
In 1990, the Forest Service contracted with NOLS to create low-impact pedagogy and training. From this work emerged Leave No Trace and its seven-step program.
Why good leaders need to be comfortable with uncertainty
Tori Murden McClure, president of Spalding University, rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She learned about leadership from her outdoor adventures.
3,600 Miles and a dream
Ben Urmston has lived his life in pursuit of becoming an astronaut. He has degree in aerospace engineering and has been an instructor at NOLS for a decade.
How mentoring built me … and my business
As a “Summer Searcher,” I went on a National Outdoor Leadership School backpacking course in Wyoming. This experience instilled an entrepreneurial spirit in me.
Gap Year Leads to Evanston Resident’s Wild Adventure in Patagonia
When Jack Cleave was thinking about taking a gap year between high school and college, he never dreamed he'd end up hiking mountains in Patagonia with NOLS.
WY Not: Students of the Wilderness
Relying heavily on experiential education, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) works with over 24,000 students a year. Students are pushed to their potential.
Outdoors for All: Why Diversity Matters to the Outdoor Industry
Author of The Adventure Gap, James Mills offers insights as to why it's vitally important to add more color to the natural world and five things you can do to grow diversity.
NOLS Attends Conference on Bear Research
At the 24th International Conference on Bear Research and Management, NOLS joined other bear experts from around the world to share their knowledge last week.
NOLS Goes to Mars
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) has been running courses for NASA Astronauts since 1999, through NOLS Professional Training.
