THE
LEADER INSIDE
The Power of Distant Places—an interview with Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize winner and NOLS grad
NOLS ALUMNI | WINTER 2021-22 | VOL. 37 NO. 1
FROM THE PRESIDENT
THE LEADER Winter 2021-22 • Volume 37 • No. 1 Published twice a year.
EDITOR
Anne McGowan
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s we enter 2022, it’s an opportunity to look back at things to be grateful for and ahead to upcoming changes. Firstly, thank you. I am so grateful to students, parents, donors, friends—all who helped NOLS weather the last few years. Covid-19 continues to present a myriad of challenges. While the end is not yet in sight, we’ve come a long way from our full shutdown for months in 2020, the accompanying loss of student opportunity, valuable staff and faculty, and the revenue that supports our mission. I’m so amazed by our faculty and staff as we restarted. Throughout challenge, you have prioritized excellence in NOLS education and an ongoing focus on risk management. These outcomes are never taken for granted, and I want to specifically recognize how much effort this takes to bring success. In light of the above, these last few years have also been times of immense change. We’ve adapted how we teach, our international classrooms closed or limited in many locations, and we’ve had to make some really hard choices on what to continue and what to shut down. Here at NOLS HQ, more change is on the way. See page 16 to read more about this multi-year effort to upgrade technology to better support student and staff, address compensation and DE&I concerns along with other elements of organizational culture, and consider changes in how we organize and support our programs in order to allow revenue growth to fund the first two initiatives, All this while centering of our mission and students as our guiding star. As the entire point of NOLS’ being is to educate students, I want to highlight how proud we are of our alumni. In this issue, we profile just a few of our 380,000 NOLS alums: • A Polaris Snowmobile ambassador (page 8 features Mandy Fable, a former NOLS instructor and staff member who went on to lead several Wyoming leadership organizations, all while repping snow machines). • An Oscar-winning filmmaker (the story of Jimmy Chin’s newest documentary in partnership with his wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi is on page 9). • The CEO of a Silicon Valley Leadership Organization who now sits on the NOLS Board of Trustees (you’ll find Ahmad Thomas’ story on page 12). • A trio of women who have hiked together in some configuration every year since their NOLS course (page 14). • A Pulitzer Prize winning author. Our cover story features a chat with Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See. His latest work is profiled in a book review on page 20. Tony is a three-time NOLS graduate and the father of a NOLS grad as well. So, settle in and enjoy these and other stories in The Leader. As you read, I hope you feel the pride and gratitude we hold for each of you as part of our NOLS community. Here’s to 2022 and beyond as we step forward in our ongoing work at NOLS.
2 | THE LEADER
Terri Watson NOLS President
DESIGNER
Kacie DeKleine ALUMNI RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Rich Brame NOLS PRESIDENT
Terri Watson EDITORIAL BOARD
Heather Wisniewski Rich Brame
The Leader is a magazine for alumni of NOLS, a nonprofit global school focusing on wilderness skills, leadership, and environmental ethics. It is distributed to NOLS alumni. NOLS graduates receive a free subscription to The Leader for life. The Leader welcomes article submissions and comments. Please address all correspondence to leader@nols. edu or call 1-307-332-8800. Alumni can direct email changes to alumni@nols. edu or 1-800-332-4280. For the most up-to-date information on NOLS, visit www.nols.edu or email info@nols.edu. The Leader is available online at www. nols.edu/leader. Front cover photo: Jack Kirkpatrick Back cover photo: Eryn Pierce
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXPOSE
Push people to experience the uncertain 4
Feature | A Trip a Year for 22 Years
14
5
Feature | NOLS' Transformation: Embracing Change
16
Feature | To Infinity and Beyond—As a Team
18
Cover Story | Anthony Doerr: The Power of Distant Places
20
6 7 8 9
EDUCATE
Alumni Trips | Backpacking in Chile's Patagonia & Backpacking Wyo's Wind Rivers: Peak Bagging
10
Featured Course | Summer Semester in the Rockies
11
Teach the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate uncertainty
Alumni in Action | Q & A with Ahmad Thomas
12
Curriculum | Quiz: What’s Your Leadership Style?
24
Recognition | Laura McGladrey Receives Charles “Reb” Gregg Wilderness Risk Management Award
13
Research | Immersive Learning Technology and its Benefits for Students Learning in Nature
25
How To | Practice Good Self-Care
26
How To | Keep Your Feet Warm
27
Book Review | Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr and Singing Creek by Morgan Simmons
28
Gear Review | NOLS Store
29
Nutrition | Adirondack Berry Pancakes
30
14
16
18
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ENGAGE
FEEDBACK
Staff Pulse Check Q. How are you doing? In 25-50 words, describe how you are feeling in your work or personal life:
The last 20 months have been exhausting and disorienting. Having students in the field has been grounding during such a chaotic time. Seeing what happens in the field on NOLS expeditions—even from afar— motivates me to keep working towards a calmer and more stable future for our whole NOLS community. Katie Baum Mettenbrink NOLS Associate Director of Operations
Wilderness Medicine is busy, but we'll be running a full course load in 2022! This is a pivotal time for the Wilderness Medicine team but we're embracing challenge and change and excited for the next year. Jonathan Weaver Partner Liaison, NOLS Wilderness Medicine
There were times when the last year and a half felt overwhelming, but it’s improving as we hire more people in our department. Cindy Carey NOLS Fund Director
Our program team has been full of energy since we opened back up in July 2020. As we operate in a pandemic, we continue to improve our understanding and practices. We're just navigating through the unknown. Clair Smith Special Projects Coordinator, NOLS Rocky Mountain
NOLS Rocky Mountain is busy and has been throughout this pandemic. Between ever-changing COVID practices, area closures, and over-allocated emergency services, we have been challenged by the ever-shifting logistical sands. Like everyone else, we have spent a lot of time working on our tolerance for adversity and uncertainty skills. Andy Blair Assistant Director, NOLS Rocky Mountain
Stay in touch with NOLS! Subscribe today to NOLS Alumni E-News or The Scenario for stories about NOLS, the outdoors, wilderness medicine, your fellow grads, and more!
4 | THE LEADER
ENGAGE
NOLS IN ACTION
NOLS Crew Feeds Neighbors
By Jessica Fuller Rocky Mountain Program Supervisor and Instructor “
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need six meals!” “I need two!” “I need seventeen!” With each shout down the church basement stairs from the drive-up station in the parking lot, a flurry of NOLS staff volunteers prepare to-go boxes of baked ziti, salad, bread, and dessert. Over a couple hour span, more than 150 meals are brought out to waiting cars and families with a wave and a smile. This culinary and community service expedition began as a sit-down dinner in 2017 when the pastor of Lander’s United Methodist Church decided to partner with different local organizations to offer free meals to the community every Friday evening. He approached NOLS about sponsoring the fourth Friday of every month, and Special Projects Coordinator Clair Smith, along with then-active Outfitting Manager Kevin McGowan, took on the challenge of cooking for hundreds and recruiting monthly volunteers from NOLS staff, and continue to this day. On the Thursday before serving day, Clair and Kevin trade in their fry bakes for deep-dish trays and create dozens of vats of cheesy pasta (it is NOLS, after all) to prepare for the Friday rush at 5 pm. Though this frontcountry cooking has more serving tongs, splash-guard aprons, and faucet sprayers than a simple backcountry set-up, one thing NOLS Rocky Mountain has permanently brought to the church’s industrial kitchen are the spatulas used around the NOLS globe. “NOLS spatulas are the best spatulas in any kitchen,” says Smith. When asked if there had been any hilarious mishaps along the way, Clair threw her head back laughing and said, “The Friday after Thanksgiving, 2017!” Clair and Kevin arrived at the church kitchen that afternoon to find all the turkey breasts still frozen solid and the clock ticking. Having met a number of seemingly
NOLS staff cook up a meal for community members every month. Anne McGowan
insurmountable problems in the mountains, the team of NOLS volunteers put their heads together to brainstorm solutions, all while keeping Domino’s Pizza on speed dial if it came to that. In a show of true expedition behavior, everyone pitched in: boiling the birds, hacking off chunks of frozen meat, and frying them up with every stove burner available in the kitchen while also setting up tables and chairs, making vats of mashed potatoes, mixing up lemonade, and welcoming the guests. At one point, with the air thick with smoke and the floor covered in grease, Kevin reached for an industrial sized bottle of vegetable oil and slip-slided his way into spilling it all over the counter. Like when Mother Nature brings rain on a tough hiking day, laughter erupted as folks dove into one
more challenge. “You know, it was just one of those ‘tolerance for adversity and uncertainty’ things!” said Kevin. Meals are now delivered car-side and taken home with folks, though everyone looks forward to the day when individuals and families can again eat at round tables set up in the church’s basement, sharing conversation and community. “There are just a lot of grateful people, on both sides of the serving table,” said Kevin. Jessica Fuller is a field instructor and program supervisor at NOLS Rocky Mountain. Her favorite outdoor activity is reading in her hammock.
NOLS.EDU | 5
Henri Marius
Prasad Gadgil
FEATURED LOCATION
NOLS Alaska
62° N, 149° W
By Marissa Bieger Alaska Program Supervisor, Senior Field Instructor
W
elcome to the land of the midnight sun! Upon arriving at The Farm, affectionately nicknamed for its history as one of the first homesteads in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, you might see the tall pink blooms of fireweed, friendly faces sharing coffee on the farmhouse porch, or staff filleting salmon from an early morning trip to the local creek. The landscape is framed by neighboring working farms and the rocky ridgelines of Pioneer and Matanuska peaks. NOLS began running courses in Alaska in 1971, from various seasonally rented spaces in the Anchorage area, before purchasing land in Palmer in 1982. Since then, we have grown to host 700 students each summer. Depending on your course, you’ll have the opportunity to kayak at the foot of tidewater glaciers, hike through the Alaskan tundra (home to the 38,000 caribou of the Nelchina herd), or live and travel
WILDERNESS MEDICINE QUIZ QUESTION | Which of the following is a recommended prevention principle for altitude illness? a) Climb high, sleep low b) A high protein diet c) Hyper-hydration d) Mild sedatives to ensure good sleep Answer on page 29
6 | THE LEADER
on some of the largest glaciers in the world. You’ll share the land with whales, puffins, Steller sea lions, wolves, bears, wolverines, moose, and porcupines. You’ll likely have the opportunity to connect with local bush pilots who deliver rations to land-based courses, or even fly into the mountains with them to begin your expedition. Whether you have two weeks or an entire semester to explore Alaska, the massive scale and rugged landscapes will awe and inspire. The special connections to place and community keep staff from all over the world coming back year after year, and we’re excited to welcome you as part of our seasonal family! Marissa Bieger, who recently made Alaska her year-round home, is connecting to the land in a new way through gardening, fishing, and foraging.
Location In the heart of the fertile Matanuska Valley on the ancestral Dena’ina and Ahtna homelands, NOLS Alaska is surrounded by the spectacular Chugach and Talkeetna Mountains north of Palmer, Alaska.
In-Town Staff 38
Skills Offered Explore Alaska’s wilderness by backpacking, mountaineering, or sea kayaking from the Gulf of Alaska to the Arctic.
Fun Fact In 2021, NOLS Alaska celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first NOLS ascent of Denali by the Muldrow Glacier, the original 1913 route. While the majority of modern climbers access Denali’s massive snow-covered slopes by flying to 7200' on the Kahiltna Glacier, NOLS students for the last 50 years have made the 20-mile trek from Wonder Lake to McGonagall Pass before reaching the glaciers on the remote north side of the mountain.
ENGAGE
STAFF PROFILE
Heather Wisniewski
By Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator “This connection piece reframed my thinking about asking for money," Heather said. "I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!” Moving On—For a While
Heather, Chris, and their rescue pup, Tucker, live in Lander. Courtesy of Heather Wisniewski
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ore than eight years after she left NOLS, newly named Chief Advancement Officer Heather Wisniewski returned to the school last year, to the job she’d always had her heart set on. “It still feels a bit surreal to be back,” Heather said with a grin. “This place, this job—this is where I’m supposed to be.” Seeking the Best Heather’s connection to NOLS began in 1996, while pursuing a degree in outdoor adventure education. “A lot of people at my college had taken a course, and spoke highly of it,” Heather remembered. “I knew there were other options, but I wanted to take a NOLS course because I wanted the best.” So, she enrolled on a Semester in the Rockies. Heather also really wanted to work for NOLS, so she chose a Wyoming-based
course hoping for the possibility of a job after her semester. Her strategy paid off. When Heather completed her semester, she was offered a job as the assistant rations manager at NOLS’ Rocky Mountain campus. She became a NOLS instructor, then a program supervisor and a member of the staffing department. Still, she was seeking more. Philanthropy as Connection “My then-boss suggested I’d be a great fit for an opening in the NOLS Development office,” Heather recalled. “At the time, I couldn’t really imagine myself asking people for money, but I pursued it and got the job.” Soon after, while attending a seminar, the speaker talked about philanthropy as a way to connect people and their passions to an organization and a mission.
After five years in the NOLS Development office, ultimately as the assistant director, Heather left in 2013 with the hope that she’d return someday. “I wanted to expand my experience, so—in addition to getting my Master’s degree in nonprofit management and philanthropy—I began working for The Nature Conservancy,” Heather explained. “While leaving NOLS was hard, it was an opportunity to work for another great organization whose mission I’m passionate about. I’m grateful for my time at TNC, and thrilled to be returning to NOLS to build and grow our advancement efforts.” NOLS is a Need Heather believes deeply in NOLS teachings, whether on an expedition course or in a wilderness medicine classroom. “It’s a need in these chaotic times,” she said. “NOLS gives people skills not to just be better leaders, but better citizens for their communities and the planet,” she said. “When I think about challenges in my life I remember lessons I learned on NOLS courses. If I can hike over a steep mountain pass with a heavy pack, kayak a difficult rapid I thought was impossible, I know anything is possible.” Anne McGowan grew up camping and hiking with her family in Pennsylvania. She followed her love of words and books to a career in writing.
WILDERNESS QUIZ QUESTION | How many Wilderness Areas are there in the USA? Bonus! Name the six states that do not have any Wilderness Areas. Answer on page 29
NOLS.EDU | 7
ENGAGE
ALUMNI PROFILE
Mandy Fabel
By Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator
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“I’d been so afraid of failing, I wouldn’t take risks,” she remembered. “On my NOLS Outdoor Educator Course in 2007, I learned that leading other people didn’t mean being perfect.”
andy Fabel is an adventure junkie with adrenaline running through her veins. The proof ? • The former NOLS instructor, who worked courses ranging from adventure courses for teens to wilderness medicine rescue seminars, preferred winter courses because of the magnitude of effort they required. • She and her partner Brian Fabel married on a mountain top after biking 10 miles, hiking 25 miles, and completing an 8-pitch alpine rock climb just to get there. Then they turned around and hiked and biked home. (Fellow instructor Jamie O’Donnell ordained for the occasion, accompanied the couple, and—as vows were about to be exchanged—Mandy pulled on a short white wedding dress she’d carried in her backpack). • She’s executive director of a leadership organization and has just published a book of collected essays. • Oh, and she’s a Polaris Snowmobile ambassador. Ambassadors serve as positive role models for the sport and the brand. Polaris selected Mandy as an ambassador three years ago and recently promoted her to serve as one of their top four female riders in North America. “I think I was selected due to my passion and work ethic,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of women who push the limits of backcountry snowmobile riding—or who drag their husbands into the sport—so a few people noticed when I made big strides over several seasons.” But the rigors of snowmobiling weren’t really new to Mandy. “A day of snowmobiling is remarkably similar to a NOLS winter course,” she said. “It’s physically demanding, requires careful attention to personal care and Top: Mandy is a Polaris Snowmobile Ambassador. Bottom: Mandy and Brian Fabel's wedding. Photos courtesy of Mandy Fabel
8 | THE LEADER
group management, and it’s beautiful and fun! I credit my time in sports like skiing and rock climbing for believing I can be as good a rider as the men, which hasn’t been a shared perspective in the snowmobile community.” Mandy asserts that the lessons she learned and taught on NOLS courses apply to snowmobiling too. “Many women in the sport will use the excuse “it’s hard because I’m smaller” to not improve. My time at NOLS convinced me that size should never be an excuse,” she said, noting that some of the toughest hikers and most talented rock climbers she knows weigh less than 110 pounds. A former director of the Lander, Wyoming-based International Climbers Festival; former personal trainer; and current director of Leadership Wyoming, an organization dedicated to inspiring leaders through exploration and connection, Mandy also recognizes the impact NOLS has had on her professional life. The single most important lesson she learned on her first NOLS course, she said, was how to handle failure and find a path forward. “Up to that point, I’d been so afraid of failing I wouldn’t take risks,” she remembered. “On my NOLS Outdoor Educator Course in 2007, I learned that leading other people didn’t mean being perfect.” Which may transfer well to Mandy and Brian’s latest (and some might say biggest) adventure—as new parents. Will baby Stokes Fabel, born in August, soon be accompanying his mom and dad on outdoor escapades? Well, he has already. After all, it’s in his blood. Anne McGowan grew up camping and hiking with her family in Pennsylvania. She followed her love of words and books to a career in writing.
ENGAGE
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Jimmy Chin's Newest Film
By Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator You probably remember the story: in June 2018, a dozen youths, accompanied by their soccer coach, set out to explore the Tham Luang cave system in northern Thailand. What was supposed to be a short post-practice outing left them trapped inside a cave after heavy rains flooded its narrow passages. With additional monsoon rain expected at any time, the group was stranded without food, water, light, or a safe exit for 17 days. Millions of people the world over were transfixed by news of the massive, daring, and sophisticated international rescue operation that followed, ultimately carrying the boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach to safety. Among those transfixed: Oscar Award-winning documentary filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The summer after the release of their film Free Solo, Elizabeth and Jimmy (a former NOLS instructor and current member of the NOLS Board of Trustees) selected the Tham Luang cave rescue as their next film project. The problem for the filmmakers? While the drama unfolded quite publicly, there was initially very little cave video accessible and the rescued children were unavailable for interviews. In spite of those constraints—and the additional restrictions of COVID travel and a story everyone already knew the outcome of—the partners resolved to tell the gripping, against-all-odds tale of courage, expertise, and community. Relying on detailed reenactments with the actual rescuers, exclusive interviews, and 87 hours of Thai SEALs Go-Pro footage, co-producers and co-directors Jimmy and Elizabeth created The Rescue.
A National Geographic Documentary Films release, the film includes the highstakes efforts of the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Squadron, and details weekend-warrior volunteer cave divers’ daring effort to swim the boys to safety. It shines a light on the highrisk world of cave diving, the astounding courage and selflessness of the rescuers, and the shared humanity of the international community that united to save the boys. The film really highlights the volunteer, amateur cave divers. It’s important to remember that there are no “professional” cave divers and no that military special forces unit in the world has cave diving capability. Cave diving is an exacting and incredibly dangerous hobby that in this case included selfless, compassionate British volunteers who literally saved the day. “It’s truly breathtaking stuff, watching a massive group of diverse professionals set all notions of fear and self-interest aside and unite around a common goal,” Variety.com said of the film. “In today’s increasingly individualistic world divided by superficial differences, witnessing this profound miracle feels like receiving an overdue supply of oxygen.” The Rescue premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and won the People’s Choice Award for Documentaries at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It was released in theaters in the United States in October. Watch the trailer for The Rescue here.
"Cave diving is an exacting and incredibly dangerous hobby that in this case included selfless, compassionate British volunteers who literally saved the day."
Anne McGowan grew up camping and hiking with her family in Pennsylvania. She followed her love of words and books to a career in writing.
The Rescue is described as “truly breathtaking stuff.” Courtesy of National Geographic
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ENGAGE
ALUMNI TRIPS
Backpacking in Chile's Patagonia Backpacking Wyoming's Wind Rivers: Peak Bagging As we continue to look forward into a post-vaccine world, we are optimistic that a return to responsible international travel will be in our futures. Our Alumni trips will only proceed if NOLS believes that the trips can run in a manner that manages risk to our participants and our hosting communities. We are cautious, but optimistic for the future and hope that you can join us in the outdoors when the time is right.
Rex Bryngelson
NOLS Alumni Online Engagement To help you stay connected to the NOLS family, we’re thrilled to host a variety of Zoom events each month. No matter where you are in the world, we hope you’ll join us online for one (or all!) of these online gatherings. Enjoy campus tours, trip-specific reunions, leadership mini-classes, adventure storytelling, skills refreshers, networking, interactive chats with NOLS leadership, and more. Watch the Events Page for new offerings and to sign up for the learning and connection. All are welcome!
Backpacking in Chile's Patagonia Dates | March 27-April 5, 2022 Cost | $3,295 Patagonia’s “O” trek is the most immersive trek you can do in Torres del Paine National Park. The route is a loop moving from one established camp to another in order to minimize impacts on the surrounding land and provide some additional comforts in this very remote region. This is an extraordinary opportunity to experience Patagonian culture while backpacking through remote, rarely visited, and stunning wilderness.
See this course online
Rich Brame
Moderate
Difficult
You’ll only need a day pack on this trip as horses carry most of the load.
Backpacking Wyoming's Wind Rivers: Peak Bagging Date | August 18-27, 2022 Cost | $2,295 Join us for a backpacking exploration of the Wind Rivers’ high summits. This challenging, non-technical trip summits as many high points as possible in the Winds' granite core. The hikes are tough and the non-roped climbs are steep. This trip is a great way to share NOLS with friends or family. Moderate
See this course online
10 | THE LEADER
Difficult
This trip includes challenging hikes with heavy packs on an aggressive route.
FEATURED COURSE
Joy Flores Perez
Summer Semester in the Rockies By NOLS
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ind adventure in the Rockies next summer! Do you dream of seeing the sky ablaze with cotton-candy colored sunsets, feeling the warmth of the campfire, and taking in the aroma of the backcountry pizza cooking upon it, mingled with the pine and sage that surround you? This scene is only a sliver of what awaits you while finding another piece of yourself atop the world-renowned Rocky Mountains on a NOLS Summer Semester in the Rockies. You will embrace new challenges as you backpack through Wyoming’s snow-capped Wind River mountains, climb granite crags,
and paddle whitewater rapids on the Green River. Wake up to the sound of breeze in the pines, then cook breakfast on a camp stove with a group of new friends. Spend time in the sun summiting rugged peaks and rock climbing at world-class sites. Ripple the water as you fly fish on clear alpine lakes and learn about local ecology while you hike over stunning high-mountain passes. You’ll explore beautiful and remote wilderness areas, work hard, and laugh a lot. On each section of the 68-day course— backpacking, climbing, and river travel— you’ll start with the basics, like reading a map, tying knots, and developing your paddle technique. When you’re ready, you’ll
move on to more advanced topics, like navigating off trail, building climbing anchors, and scouting rapids. Along the way, you’ll expand and hone your unique style of leadership skills. You’ll grow your problem solving and risk management skills as you lead a river crossing. You will practice good communication while belaying a coursemate or working together to pilot a raft through a rapid. You’ll learn effective conflict resolution and how to support your team in different roles in the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. And you’ll return home with the confidence to lead in the outdoors, in your community, and beyond. Join us. It might just change your life.
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ENGAGE
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Q & A with Ahmad Thomas By Aimee Newsom Alumni Relations Coordinator
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hmad Thomas is a NOLS Custom Education Wharton Leadership Venture graduate and member of the NOLS Board of Trustees. A former investment banker and senior Congressional aide, Ahmad was recently named CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
of military service can be traced back to the Civil War; my father is a Vietnam vet who served for 23 years on active duty in the Air Force. While I didn’t serve in the military, exposure to this ethos influenced my commitment to civic duty. I’m fortunate to have “grown up” with my wife, who was my college sweetheart. Tell us about your background. She’s on the medical faculty at Stanford. As a child and young adult, my family We’re fortunate to have made decisions so ingrained in me the value of education far that have put our family and careers in and giving back. I deeply appreciate the positions to thrive (in that order!). Our two opportunities I’ve received, and I know my sons are 7 and 10 years old. parents and family have played a huge role in all of my achievements. Share a bit about your career path. My mother is a Caribbean immigrant I’m a small-town guy from Lompoc, from Trinidad and Tobago, who has expe- California. From there, it was off to the rienced this country as an outsider looking east coast for college at Cornell and then in. She instilled in me an intensity to be I attended graduate school at the London proactive in all facets of life. My father was School of Economics, where I studied born and raised in rural Alabama, where public policy. opportunity eluded him and my family in My first job after graduate school the Jim Crow south. My family’s tradition was on Capitol Hill, working for U.S.
Senator Dianne Feinstein. This was a pivotal moment in my career, and one of the most rewarding. Like the great outdoors, Capitol Hill is a real proving ground and playing-field leveler. Next, I transitioned to a career in finance. I worked for a decade as an investment banker and went back to business school to earn my MBA from Wharton. I managed $15 billion in debt financings, including one of the most innovative socialdebt issuances brought to market. In 2020, I became CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, California’s most dynamic business association. Our more than 350 member companies provide nearly one of every three private-sector jobs in Silicon Valley. In my first year, we’ve focused on initiating change around diversity, equity, and inclusion, from the boardroom to the C-suites and beyond. Describe your time as a NOLS student. My NOLS experience helped me to learn more about my own leadership style, and to discover what worked well for me as I motivated and related to those around me. Far from the comforts of home, I learned to work constructively with others towards a common goal. What’s your definition of leadership? The best leaders are those who put others in a position to succeed. A great leader brings out things in you that you didn’t see in yourself, allowing you to achieve things you never thought possible. They show you that, by putting one foot in front of the other, you can accomplish virtually anything when pointed in the right direction. Aimee Newsom always chooses tea over coffee and never leaves home without a book. She loves exploring Wyoming with her husband, daughter, and Great Dane.
Ahmad's NOLS experience was in the mountians of Alaska. Courtesy of Ahmad Thomas
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ENGAGE
RECOGNITION
Laura McGladrey Receives 2021 Charles “Reb” Gregg Wilderness Risk Management Award By Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator
L
aura McGladrey was named the recipient of the Charles (Reb) Gregg Wilderness Risk Management Award for 2021 at the 27th annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference in October, 2021. The award recognizes individuals for their exceptional leadership, service, and
innovation in wilderness risk management. A nurse practitioner, academic, and clinician specializing in occupational stress in first responders and outdoor leaders, Laura is a thought leader in risk management and has been a leading voice in the national discussion on stress
RESPONDER STRESS CONTINUUM READY
REACTING Sleep Loss
Sense Of Mission
Change In Attitude Criticism
Spiritually & Emotionally Healthy
Avoidance
Physically Healthy
Loss Of Interest
Emotionally Available
Distance From Others
Healthy Sleep Gratitude Vitality Room For Complexity
Short Fuse Cutting Corners Loss Of Creativity Lack Of Motivation Fatigue
INJURED
CRITICAL
Sleep Issues
Insomnia
Emotional Numbness
Hopelessness
Burnout
Anxiety & Panic
Nightmares
Depression
Disengaged
Intrusive Thoughts
Exhausted
Feeling Lost Or Out Of Control
Physical Symptoms Feeling Trapped
Blame Hiding Out
Relationships Suffering
Broken Relationships
Isolation
Thoughts Of Suicide
injury formation and recovery for more than a decade. Laura has created and adapted tools that proactively empower the wilderness and responder communities to take care of themselves while simultaneously managing risk for others. For example, she has advanced psychological first-aid principles as a way to improve emergency response and has introduced us to concepts such as the “Stress Continuum,” managing exhaustion or depletion with “green choices,” and peer and incident support systems. Laura’s work as an educator is now positively impacting ski patrol, avalanche/ snow science, climbing, search and rescue, outdoor and adventure programs, law enforcement, urban/wildland fire, National Park Service, and wilderness medicine communities. As a practitioner, she has been instrumental in supporting health care providers across the country during the COVID surge and supporting first responders in the wake of the Boulder Colo., mass shooting. Also, after recognizing the need for leadership and education in the area of mental health and psychological first aid, Laura established the not-for-profit Responder Alliance, which continues to explore ways to connect responders, professionals, and organizations with new resources and training on building resilient individuals and teams. The Charles (Reb) Gregg Wilderness Risk Management Award was created in 2009 by co-sponsors of the Wilderness Risk Management Conference. Reb, a Texas-based attorney and former NOLS Trustee, has worked primarily with recreation and adventure-based programs and is a leading practitioner, lecturer and writer in managing legal liability issues for such programs. He was identified by Outside magazine as “the Dean of the Outdoor Bar.”
NOLS.EDU | 13 A DA P T E D F R O M CO M B AT A N D O PE R AT I O N A L S T R E S S F I R S T A I D BY L AU R A M CG L A D R E Y | R E S P O N D E R A L L I A N C E .CO M
EXPOSE
A Trip a Year for 22 Years By Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator
Laura Parkman McElroy, Katherine “KL” Wells, and Betsy Bayne, above, set out to backpack in the Wind River Mountains last July. Courtesy of KL Wells
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n 2000, as her NOLS 25-and-Over Wyoming Wilderness course drew to a close, Betsy Bayne, then 43, collected the email addresses of all her coursemates. When she arrived home and contacted the others, asking if anyone wanted to backpack with her in the future, two people— Katherine “KL” Wells and Laura Parkman McElroy— replied with a resounding yes. That marked the beginning of a 22-year tradition of hiking and camping together that some combination of this trio has taken every year somewhere in the Western U.S. (Laura accompanied them on the first few adventures, but work kept her from participating for several years, until now). They’ve backpacked in locales from Denali in Alaska to Snowmass in Colorado, never repeating a location except when conditions required it. This year’s trip into the Wind River Mountains was an exception. “I thought it would be great to go back to the origins,” KL said when the women visited NOLS Headquarters last July before their trip.
22 Years of Backpacking Adventures 2000 – NOLS – Wind River Range 2001 – San Juan Mountains, CO 2002 – Alaska (Talkeetnas) 2003 – Denali National Park, Alaska 2004 – Glacier National Park, MT 2005 – Sawtooth Mountains, ID 2006 – North Cascades, WA 2007 – British Columbia, Canada 2008 – Beartooth Mountains, MT & WY Yellowstone National Park, MT & WY 2009 – Sierra Mountains, CA 2010 – Olympic National Park, WA 2011 – Three Sisters, OR & Trinity Alps, CA
2012 – Trinity Alps, CA 2013 – Three Sisters, OR & Wallowa Mountains, OR 2014 – Sequoia National Park, John Muir Wilderness, CA 2015 – Bob Marshall Wilderness, MT 2016 – North Cascades, WA 2017 – Maroon Bells, Lizard Head, Blue Lake, Snowmass, CO 2018 – Glacier National Park, MT 2019 – Mt. Rainer & Mt. St. Helens, WA 2020 – Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 2021 – Teton NP & Wind River Range, WY
“But we all walked away from that NOLS course with a greater understanding of ourselves, of edge-dwelling and going beyond...If you decide to do something like a NOLS course, you will shift,” she said. “Now, for me, this annual trip is non-negotiable.”
KL grew up splitting time between a home in Washington, D.C. and a ranch in Montana. She was 43 and living in Florida in 2000 when she set out to find “an adventure for older folks,” and landed at NOLS. With a handful of health issues, her goal for her course was to “just get through it.” Betsy, an experienced backpacker, was at loose ends after the death of her mother. Laura, not yet 30-years-old in 2000, had done some rock climbing, and was seeking to overcome her fears. “Betsy and I were the least likely to ever backpack again,” KL said. “But we all walked away from that NOLS course with a greater understanding of ourselves, of edge-dwelling and going beyond.” She returned to Florida, sold her home and business, and moved back to Montana. “If you decide to do something like a NOLS course, you will shift,” she said. “Now, for me, this annual trip is non-negotiable.” All three women agreed that their friendship and this yearly tradition were the best takeaways from their course, and they were excited to get back into the Winds to catch up. For Laura, now 50 and rejoining her friends for the first time in years, the timing was especially symbolic. She relished the time to reconnect with friends and disconnect from everything else—maybe even renew her love of backpacking. And so, the three set off on their twenty-second annual adventure.
A month later, a message came to NOLS Headquarters from KL: “Unfortunately, Betsy threw her back out the morning we were heading into the Winds. Laura and I reconfigured the gear and food, took Betsy to breakfast, and shed a few tears. Betsy drove home while Laura and I backpacked in the Winds for six nights and seven days. Despite the huge disappointment of not having Betsy with us, we enjoyed re-connecting again and rekindled Laura’s love of backpacking. The day we hiked in, we ran into a NOLS group just coming out after 29 days; it was fun telling them we were alums from 2000!” And for these three friends, there’s always next year.
Anne McGowan grew up camping and hiking with her family in Pennsylvania. She followed her love of words and books to a career in writing.
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EXPOSE
NOLS’ Transformation: Embracing Change By Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator
The NOLS mission is at the base of the school’s Transformation Pyramid.
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he world, and practically everything in it, changed dramatically in the last few years. NOLS is no exception. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic altered virtually everything at the school, from the way expedition and wilderness medicine courses are now taught, to the protocols that students, instructors, and staff are required to follow, and to the way our much-reduced staff show up at the office—or from home. No one anticipated the magnitude of change. A schoolwide shutdown for months, a massive reduction of staff—these were needed and difficult responses to a dire situation, made with the safety of students, staff, and the viability of the school their paramount goals. While many organizations might hunker down and retreat in times of difficulty, NOLS leadership views this as an opportunity to consider how we might rebuild into a new form to more strongly enable our educational mission. That opportunity is, in part, the genesis of our NOLS Transformation efforts.
“While many organizations might hunker down and retreat in times of difficulty, NOLS leadership views this as an opportunity to consider how we might rebuild.” The overarching goal is to be able to grow our ability to provide the world class education that defines us, and re-imagine how we might adjust our educational support model to provide better synergies as well as more robust financial sustainability. Critical initiatives such as vastly improved technology to support students and staff, needed compensation adjustments to continue to attract and retain the caliber of people that define NOLS are supported by an improved approach to supporting programs to enable financial sustainability of these priorities. To reach this goal, we are taking a three-planked and systemic approach to change. The “planks” of the NOLS Operating Model Transformation team address the multiple and interrelated challenges at NOLS impacting our ability to serve our mission, support students and staff, and to attract and retain the talented people that make the magic happen. Those three “planks,” as directed by Terri and supported by the board of trustees, are: •Right Tools: Invest in the technology that provides excellent student service, supports staff in their work, and allows all school leadership to access and see needed information across all of NOLS in order to make better decisions. •Thriving Culture: Culture has many elements that make NOLS a place where people want to work, want to remain, and can see a future for themselves. This include adequate compensation, attention to an inclusive culture that ensures we all have a sense of belonging, regardless of background, identity or role. •Supportive Organizational Structure: The “Why” of examining reorganization is to find ways to continue to enable the amazing work we do, yet enable a much easier means to understand developing student needs, develop new program ideas, and harmonize the way we work to eliminate unneeded duplication where it makes sense. As a result, NOLS can become far more financially sustainable and support greater investment in the people that educate and support our students, and the tools to sustain excellence, and in scholarship support of students.
The next several years, Terri said, “are especially exciting as we embrace the work of a return to teaching students and also addressing long-standing challenges that have hindered our ability to grow in a way that enables increased investment in students, staff, and technology.” “Specific efforts in our Transformation work have already begun,” Terri explained, “include improving compensation and benefits, a school-wide focus on an inclusive culture, and investment in upgrading technology—all of these in service to our “Why”—the education of our students. In a presentation in October, Terri expressed immense gratitude for the discipline of prior NOLS trustees and administrative leaders who ensured the financial reserves that helped make this initiative possible matched with continued philanthropic efforts. Jenny Tison, NOLS field instructor who brings years of significant experience as a top performer at one of the US’ top management consulting firms, will lead the Transformation work for the coming three to four years. Having done similar large efforts in companies both larger and more complex than NOLS, as well as in the government and non-profit sectors, Jenny’s unique perspective as “one of us” and someone with skills well beyond what we have internally, is invaluable. “In its broadest form, the work of this Transformation is to equip us to serve our mission as best as possible as our future evolves, as well as to set us up to seek out new opportunities to extend the reach of our work to new students and partners,” Jenny said. “I’m excited to be part of it.”
Anne McGowan grew up camping and hiking with her family in Pennsylvania. She followed her love of words and books to a career in writing.
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EXPOSE
To Infinity and Beyond— As a Team By Tre-C Dumais and Ben Urmston NOLS Instructors
Alaska’s Talkeetna Range. Courtesy of Tre-C Dumais and Ben Urmston
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veryone wanted to know: what’s it going to be like? They were referring to instructing a NOLS Custom Education course with the first-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Really, we instructors had no idea what it was going to be like. Coming from different backgrounds and with an average age in the 60s, this team of four were not were not typical NOLS students. We were heading into Alaska’s Talkeetna Mountains in June. We had five days. And they barely knew each other. Twenty-four hours into our course, however, there was no time to ponder such things. It was hailing, thunder and lightning were nearby, and visibility regarding bears and navigation was very low. We were tired, wet, and hungry and I remember thinking, as we set up the tarp, “I haven’t been this cold in years!” It was very different from their future experience on a space station with a relatively constant temperature in the 70s. Nonetheless, these conditions gave the crew an opportunity to learn about each other. They had to work as a team, sharing responsibilities, looking after tent-mates and cook-group members. They did their best
“In short, it was a NOLS course where people learn, among other things, how to work together as a team. Unlike most NOLS groups, their team will form again, though this time, instead of hiking at 1 or 2 miles per hour, they’ll be traveling in orbit at 17,500 miles per hour!”
keeping themselves and each other dry, fed, organized, and happy. On the ISS, they won’t have to worry about bears, lightning, hypothermia and the like. For sure, they’ll have a different set of unique hazards, but now they know they can deal with adversity and uncertainty. Importantly, they also know they can make each other laugh. Throughout the course—the cold, wet, hungry, and even beautiful moments—humor kept the team together. Humor, a common respect for each other and their instructors, and exemplary expedition behavior made the expedition a wonderful success. As instructors, we couldn’t be more excited for this team to fly in space. After spending intense days with them, we felt like part of their crew. We would look at each other periodically and say, “I can’t believe these guys are going to space! That’s so cool!” NOLS expeditions have served many NASA astronaut crews and the benefits of even five days in the wilderness were obvious to see. This crew will certainly share a laugh and much more when they look down from space and see the mountains of Alaska and recall the storms, the cold, the wetness, the river, the broken boots—the good food, the beautiful views, the camaraderie. So, what was it like? It was awesome. We have four new friends and helped them prepare for an expedition to the space station. They were
humble and respectful. They made it through challenging conditions and personal aches and pains. In short, it was a NOLS course where people learn, among other things, how to work together as a team. Unlike most NOLS groups, their team will form again, though this time, instead of hiking at 1 or 2 miles per hour, they’ll be traveling in orbit at 17,500 miles per hour! The mission, known as Axiom-1, is currently scheduled to launch on March 30, 2022.
Tre-C Dumais spends her time exploring Alaska with her dog, cat and amazing partner. She runs the Anchorage Waldorf School on the side and loves Alaska.
Ben Urmston is a lover of exploration (and vehicles that enable exploration), engineering, sports, music, and American Sign Language.
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EXPOSE
The Power of Distant Places A Q-and-A with Anthony Doerr
By Rich Brame NOLS Alumni Relations Director and Aimee Newsom NOLS Alumni Relations Coordinator All photos courtesy of Anthony Doerr
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eaders may know Anthony Doerr as an author and 2015 Pulitzer Prize winning creator of the novel, All the Light We Cannot See. He’s also a three-time NOLS grad and a NOLS parent. The interview below, courtesy of NOLS staffers Aimee Newsom and Rich Brame, occurred just before Tony’s new novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land, launched. The interview has been edited for clarity.
Heading into the mountains is unfamiliar and so is returning since new eyes see things so differently. And for teens, it’s such a powerful gift to be somewhere where phones don’t work. As parents, we’ve tried to get our kids outside as much as possible. I think they sense my joy. There’s normal-day dad and powder-day dad—they like Share your story. NOLS and the outdoors are part of your trajectory, but powder-day dad much better. can you share a quick overview of your life? I grew up in Ohio, in a rural area outside of Cleveland. In the 1970s, it was Your teenage son participated in a NOLS Alaska Expedition sort of rusting as manufacturing moved away. There was a sense that last summer. How did it go for him? things were happening elsewhere and that Cleveland’s glory days were in the past. There is leafy beauty there, but my daydreaming led elsewhere—I was thirsty for mountains and summer snow. I loved maps and the outdoors. National Geographic really fueled my imagination with images of the West. I was also into adventure books and fantasy fiction; it let me travel to fantastic places and worlds. Eventually, as a kid, I started to fixate on Alaska—the big spaces and imagined wilderness. I felt the power of distant places. I just got mountains in my head and I was always tearing mountain pictures out of magazines. I sort of threatened my mom, at age 15, that I was going to use my lawn mowing money to buy a van and drive straight to Alaska. We eventually reached a compromise. I’m not sure how I found NOLS exactly, but a NOLS Alaska Expedition was a solution that I was lucky my parents could afford, and that they felt comfortable with, from flying on my own to spending weeks away. As I think back on it now, it was a pretty incredible alignment. I mean, consider that there was no internet and that the only images I really had were scattered photos in the NOLS catalog. We may even have fibbed a bit about my age to get me on that first sea kayaking course.
Covid-19 has been hard on young people. We’re social creatures and evolved to interact. My son describes his course as fun and an intense team experience. He had confidence before and has more now. He’s always been an amazing cook and is now more so. It was a leap for him too—he’d not been out more than three or four nights. The gift NOLS offers is extreme for young folks who have been so isolated by Covid. It’s deep social immersion and today’s tech tools allows folks to stay in touch after their course too. It’s that “defamiliarization” we touched on earlier—what a gift it is to hang out with your pals, even on hard, wet days. I’m really proud of him. Do you remember when landscapes and conservation really became an interest or what influenced you in this regard?
I’ll absolutely guarantee NOLS was a part of it, as was reading Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in high school. It’s so mind blowing to learn what an active brilliant human being can do on her own like that. She was able to You first joined NOLS on an Alaskan sea kayaking course. What stands save so many birds and influence our thinking about DDT. out from that experience? It’s incredible. It was fantastic. I mean, there were obviously hard days and memory tends And Rachel Carson was just one example. When to erase some of the bleaker moments when you wish you were home. you’re growing up, you think of books as like leaves on What stands out was the remoteness, huge forests, intact ecosystems, trees—they were just there. We often think of protections humpback whales, and thumb-sized salmonberries. I hadn’t ever seen like the Wilderness Act or the national parks as being innate. those things before. It’s not until you get older that you realize that people creThe hardest part was staying positive in bad weather; the actual ated all of these things. They had to recognize the value, see kayaking was not that physically difficult for me. Staying upbeat when it’s a pathway, and take action. These protections are courapouring rain and you have dirt in your pancakes really provides a gritty geous acts that exist because of humans working together. challenge. You can actually bring positivity to yourself and others. It’s EB Sometimes books can play a small role too. (“Expedition Behavior”) and I consciously tried to do my best in that regard. That first big wilderness experience still resonates. And EB comes What can you share about your writing process and into play every day when you’re stuck in traffic and choose to crack jokes habits? What is the role of research? instead of indulging your frustrated internal dialogue. If you stay positive It’s kind of stereotypical advice to say “write what you in challenging circumstances, not only do you help those around you, but know.” My advice is usually “write what you want to know— you also somehow help yourself. It helps in relationships. It helps in parent- chase your curiosities.” ing. There is real power in sharing positivity and humor. And remembering All the Light took me 10 years to write and it started that even tough times that seem endless will at some point end. because I heard a guy complaining about the reception on A NOLS expedition is a chance to really experience “defamilariza- his cell phone. We were on a train heading into Manhattan tion,” which is just a fancy way of saying: take the things that are familiar under the East River. The train’s going really fast and his in your life and do something new that makes them feel new to you again. call drops and he gets angry. He’s swearing and it occurred Habits are useful, but sometimes deadening (the 300th drive to the office). to me: “how do we get to the point where we expect these Removing yourself from habit and getting out of the box on a 30-day trip tiny little radios inside this tiny little machine to work when means you see everything so differently when you get back. The apprecia- we’re going 50 miles an hour under a river?” tion of the daily comes back into life.
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So, I just started reading about radio and the history of radio and I didn’t even have World War II in the book until months into the project. I set a story in a time when radio was magic—there was that sorcery of hearing a voice of somebody, a loved one or a politician, who is hundreds or thousands of miles away and hearing that voice in your living room. And the way we take that for granted today, but for the history of humanity, that was impossible. I just knew there was something electric about that. I didn’t articulate exactly why I felt such interest and passion about that magical technology, but I knew that was going to be deep enough that I could chase it for several years. We love your ability to describe scenes and landscapes. Does transposing sights and smells into words come naturally to you? I had a teacher who had us keep journals. Like any kid, I procrastinated and griped about it. But then I kind of fell in love with it—using a notebook and a pen to translate experience into language. My “daily” journal is really more like writing every second or third day. There’s something about slowing down, turning off your phone and just writing about your surroundings. I don’t know if I’m good at it yet, but at least I try to start translating this big pulsing wild mysterious thing that is the world and humans moving through it. Just writing those things down in a journal means there’s no pressure because you’re not going to publish it. It’s kind of like athletes practicing their free throws or putting or whatever. It’s practice that keeps the writing muscles strong. Any advice for writers? First thing is: read, read, read. Just because you want to be a concert pianist playing Bach, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to hip hop, or jazz or whatever. Read as widely as you can. If the classics don’t work for you the first time, give it another shot three years later. There’s a reason those stories endure—give it another shot. Also keep some kind of diary or journal. Do daily practice that doesn’t have any commercial intent or expectation. Look out and describe the sky, or the birds. Slow down and pay attention to the world. Translate what you see into words. It’s discipline and practice. Pay attention to your own feelings. Translate that huge world into language. Practice every day. It’s when discipline meets talent that makes a successful writer. You’ve a new book out: Cloud Cuckoo Land. How do you describe the plot and who should give it a read? It’s a tale of interconnectedness across characters and time. Books inside books. There are five characters: two in the 15th century, two in present day Idaho, and one in the
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future. It’s a tale of the discovery of a lost book. I invented one of Antonius Diogenes’ lost novels—my homage to libraries. One of the characters “finds” one of these lost books. The story illustrates our interconnectedness—decisions of our ancestors also affect us. The decisions we make today will impact our great grandkids. It’s a complicated novel, with multiple story strands. Writing is like spinning plates; you want to touch those plates to keep them spinning in the readers mind as the book shifts perspectives or jumps in time. You’re a multi-time NOLS grad and a NOLS parent. How do you describe NOLS? Good question. It makes an interesting survey. When you tell people, “my son is not here, he’s on a NOLS course,” do folks even understand what I said? NOLS is hardcore. I mean moving in the backcountry off-trail—it’s exhausting and really unique. Nature doesn’t judge, but there are consequences. Courses bring people from all corners of the world, to solve problems and challenges together. I mean think about it: usually as an adult you work through problems with people you know. The growth of NOLS goes both ways: the student for sure, but also the family/parents who struggle with having their loved one out of touch in the “wilds.” NOLS allows you to expand and multiply your life and at the same time leave your life for a month. It’s an incredible gift. If I had my way, I’d have every teen, and some would dread it, take a NOLS course. Ninety-seven percent would return changed in a positive way.
Rich Brame, Alumni Relations Director and Instructor, came to NOLS as a Fall Semester in the Rockies student and worked his first course at Wind Cave National Park in 1984.
Aimee Newsom always chooses tea over coffee and never leaves home without a book. She loves exploring Wyoming with her husband, daughter, and Great Dane.
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CURRICULUM
What’s Your Leadership Style? Everyone has their own signature leadership style, but where do you find yourself most often? Do you seek out consensus and put group goals first? Do you like to make sure things get done and prefer direct communication? Or do you fall somewhere in between? Take this fun quiz and see whether you are a Driver, an Architect, a Spontaneous Motivator, or a Relationship Master.
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EDUCATE
RESEARCH
Immersive Learning Technology and its Benefits for Students Learning in Nature By Eryn Pierce NOLS Instructor and Design Educator
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n 2018, after working as a NOLS graphic designer for over five years, I became interested in how graphic design, combined with technology, might help transition an inexperienced student from a front-country learning experience to a backcountry one. Through student interviews, the NOLS design team discovered a common theme across our student population. For students who identified as less ‘outdoorsy,’ there was clear apprehension around the idea of living and learning in the wilderness. Feelings ranged from excitement to worry. To alleviate our students’ stress around their course, we designed online training materials and content to help ease our student’s minds. However, it wasn’t until I entered graduate school in 2019 that I thought to ask the more specific and researchable question of how design, technology, and experiences in nature could assist people in their immediate environment. The question I posed was, how can augmented reality*, social media, and nature therapy support adolescents struggling with their mental health? In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I found this research area to be increasingly
relevant. Urban residents, especially adolescents, who were already at risk for depression and anxiety, were now managing an environment with a disproportionate amount of isolation and screen time. With the knowledge that nature-based heath interventions—like forest-bathing and nature therapy—can be mentally restorative, I explored the diverse ways visual technologies can increase one’s interaction with the outdoor environment and deepen one’s connection with nature. Through interviews, literature reviews, and visual experimentation, I learned that designing adaptable experiences that respond to a person’s interests and comfort levels could contribute to healthier lifestyles outdoors. For example, when an individual can use their smartphone to overlay imagery captured from an experience outdoors (as seen in the image above) into their personal space and share that content with their social network in real-time, new mental connections between plants, animals, and people can begin to form. These connections, in turn, build confidence and sense of belonging in these restorative environments.
Lessons learned from research on immersive learning technology raise questions for the future of outdoor education’s leverage of technology. Since wilderness has long been associated as a place separate from technology, I suggest outdoor programs reconsider this definition. Instead of only focusing on how technology might hinder our children from engaging in the physical world, we can explore how it might actually assist or promote connection. I believe most outdoor programs have only scratched the surface of technology’s potential in outdoor education. Right now, NOLS instructors are using e-readers to share specific content about a location to build relatedness: GoPros to capture moments in adverse settings for further reflection, and podcasts to help expose the diverse voices and stories that make up a place. Even before students step foot in the wilderness, digital resources—from how-to videos to plant identification apps—are being shared to prepare students for learning. So, as a variety of devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables enter the consumer market, I’m excited by all the possibilities. I see a future where technology can be seamlessly integrated into outdoor environments and deliver content that can enhance human relationships with nature for years to come. Read Eryn’s research here. *Augmented reality is an interactive experience where the real-world environment, say a park or a public space, is overlaid with digital content. Think Pokémon Go. Eryn Pierce, former art director at NOLS and instructor, works with brands that strive to make a positive impact on the planet. She is a contract design educator.
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HOW TO
Practice Good Self-Care Adapted from the NOLS Blog
Taking breaks is good self care. Catherine Rocchi
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t NOLS, one of the most important skills we teach in the backcountry is self-care. Self-care includes practical actions, like putting on a jacket when you’re cold, but it also includes speaking up to your group when you’re tired, or asking to stop when you feel a blister forming. Self-care is just as important to practice at home as it is in the backcountry. Here are a few ways you can practice good selfcare and survive this busy season: Eat Well
night’s rest. Being sleep-deprived means you’re more likely to be grouchy with your co-workers or make small mistakes on your projects. Try forgoing that last television episode or that late-afternoon cup of coffee to get to sleep sooner. Exercise Exercise is a great way to help your body produce endorphins and reduce stress. It gives you something else to focus on besides the endless items on your to-do list.
Keeping your body appropriately fueled with food will help you maintain energy throughout the day. This doesn’t mean avoiding sweets and snacks altogether (too hard!). Instead, it means making sure you eat a square meal so you’re running on something besides vending-machine food.
Ask for Help
Sleep Enough
Take Breaks
There are always a hundred things to do— and they can all wait until you’ve had a full
Give your mind and body a rest. Taking a break and doing an activity that’s unrelated
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Despite what you may believe, you cannot do everything! And that’s just fine. Good leaders know how to share tasks when they’re overwhelmed, or simply to create more fun in something that would be boring to do alone.
to your tasks is a great way to come back to those tasks with a fresh perspective. Read a book, go for a walk, or simply sit and watch snow fall. Sometimes, doing nothing is the best thing for you to do. Do Something Just for Yourself It’s easy to get caught up in what others are asking you to do. Doing something just for yourself—no multi-tasking!—will get your attention back to you. It isn’t selfish. It allows you to show up at your meetings, family events, and the breakfast table as your very best self. Try these tips and see how you like them— you may be surprised at how good it feels to take a little time for you! Check out the NOLS Blog for more original stories!
EDUCATE
HOW TO
Keep Your Feet Warm Adapted from the NOLS Blog
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aking care of your feet while camping is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Here’s advice from the pros—NOLS instructors and employees—on how to take care of your feet when they get cold. Steps to keeping your feet warm First, let’s talk about prevention. It’s much easier to keep feet warm than to warm up your digits once they get cold. 1. Act Before You’re Cold. Don’t wait until you start feeling cold before you do anything. Add layers when you see the sun going down, and keep moving around. There’s no need to “tough it out”—experienced folks take steps early so they don’t get too cold. 2. Stand on Something. You can insulate your feet from the ground by standing on a foam pad, a log, or even a piece of cardboard to keep your feet off the ground. 3. Keep Moving. Movement is one of the main ways we generate body heat, so staying in motion rather than sitting still is key. Walk, jog, or dance with a friend! 4. Eat Snacks. Even more important than moving is giving your body the food your metabolism uses to stay warm. Eat a big dinner, spike your hot beverages with butter—whatever you can to increase your caloric intake.
Campers with warm feet are happy campers! Wilson Cheung
Tips for warming up chilly feet
Now that you know about some important prevention points, let’s talk about what to do 5. Change Your Socks. It’s important to if your feet actually do get cold. keep your feet as dry as possible, but 1. Borrow Your Friend’s Tummy. With when you can’t, keep an extra pair handy permission, put your cold feet on a to change into (after a river crossing, friend’s belly and hold them there until once you arrive in camp, and when you they warm up. You can gently rub your go to bed). feet if that feels better, or just hang out 6. Work with the Environment. Start for a while. traveling early so you can get to camp 2. Use a Hot Water Bottle. A hot water before dark, leaving time to take care of bottle inside your sleeping bag is a wonyour feet. When you choose a campsite, derful way to help you warm up. While think about the sun exposure and where holding hot things doesn’t really affect you can build a fire.
your core body temperature, it feels really good—and morale goes a long way! 3. Pack Foot Warmers. These are handy to put in your boots for very cold conditions. Reusable foot warmers minimize your carbon footprint. 4. Support Your Friends. Check in! Ask your friends how they’re doing, and in a particularly wet or cold environment make sure you look at each other’s hands and feet. 5. Set a Good Example. Demonstrate how you take care of your feet and keep an eye on those who are less experienced.
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BOOK REVIEWS
Cloud Cuckoo Land By Anthony Doerr Reviewed by Aimee Newsom Alumni Relations Coordinator
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OLS believes that we have an obligation to help protect the wilderness and public lands we utilize as outdoor classrooms. In his latest novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and multi-time NOLS grad Anthony Doerr (see story on page 20) seems to agree as he tackles the topic of environmental stewardship in luminous fashion. Crafting beautiful descriptions and memorable characters that fans of his 2014 bestseller All the Light We Cannot See will surely appreciate, Doerr’s commentary on sustainability doubles as a stunning depiction of the power of books, memory, and story. The back-and-forth play of plotlines will either entrance or exasperate readers of Cloud Cuckoo Land, depending on personal preference. Five distinct narratives are set
eras and oceans apart as they follow characters through their unexpectedly intertwined lives. Doerr creates short chapters that flip quickly between a 15th century orphan girl and a conscripted boy in wartorn Constantinople, an 80-year-old veteran and a troubled student living in present-day Idaho, and a not-so-distant future teenager trapped inside the vault of an interstellar spaceship. NOLSies may particularly love Doerr’s careful treatment of the natural world and his exploration of human impact on global landscapes, but be prepared to fall for one (or more) of the protagonists as well. It is no easy task, but Doerr does not sacrifice character development for the sake of making ideological points. An ancient Greek manuscript—based on a historical author but entirely a product of Doerr’s imagination—acts as a framework
for the entire novel. It also allows Doerr to underscore the interconnectedness of his disparate heroes, and his readers, time and time again. There is tragedy and despair in this novel, but hope and human resilience are never far from the surface.
Singing Creek By Morgan Simmons
Reviewed by Anne McGowan Advancement Communications Coordinator
S
inging Creek, a fictional chapter book for young readers ages 8 to 13, and written by NOLS alumnus Morgan Simmons, was recently released by Great Smoky Mountains Association. In Singing Creek, a talented singing crayfish named Molly McGee has big ambitions. An aquatic resident of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she hopes to
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record her very own album, and, to achieve her dreams, she recruits other native aquatic species to join her band—from madtoms on tom-toms to a banjo-picking bullfrog. Just as they’re about to record, though, a mysterious stranger with a bad reputation appears, and Molly’s dreams take an unfortunate turn. Morgan is a 1982 Semester in the Rockies graduate who spent almost three decades telling true stories of the Smokies as a former Knoxville News Sentinel reporter. This is his first work of fiction. While entertaining, the book also teaches young readers about aquatic life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Often overshadowed by the park’s better-known characters like black bears and elk, many unique species are found within the Smokies’ picturesque creeks, and Singing Creek brings their stories to light through
both fiction and fact. Readers can flip to the book’s glossary, which features illustrated facts on each animal and information on protecting aquatic life in the Smokies, like why you shouldn’t move river rocks. Singing Creek is available for $12.95 in the park’s visitor center bookstores and, for those who don’t live nearby, at GSMA’s online store. Great Smoky Mountains Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the scientific, historical and interpretive activities of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing educational products and services to park visitors.
Shop Online for Your Favorite NOLSie (or Yourself!) at store.nols.edu
Wilderness Medicine Quiz
Wilderness Quiz
ANSWER | a) Climb high, sleep low.
ANSWER | 803 areas that make up 111+ million acres in 44 states and Puerto Rico. And the bonus! Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, and Rhode Island
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EDUCATE
NUTRITION
Adirondack Berry Pancakes
Adapted from the NOLS Cookery Submitted by Lindsay Turner A cold winter morning practically screams for berry pancakes! Whether you make these at home or while winter camping, everyone is going to be begging for seconds. 4 cups flour (white or whole wheat) 2 Tbs. baking powder 2 tsp. salt 1 cup uncooked oats 1/4 cup powdered milk Cold water 1 to 2 cups handpicked berries (raspberries or blueberries) Adirondack Maple Syrup or syrup of your choice Mix dry ingredients. Add cold water gradually until batter is pourable (or skip the powdered milk and cold water and use the milk of your choice instead). Lightly grease a frying pan. You’ll know the pan is ready when a few drops of water placed in the hot pan skitter on the surface. Pour batter onto pan to make four pancakes. You may need to do this in batches. Cook until the small bubbles on the edges of the pancakes pop and make little holes. Flip. Cook other side until done. Makes 16-20 very sturdy pancakes. Variations: • Add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or cinnamon to the batter • A substitute for maple syrup: mix heated butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir while heating the mixture. Adirondack Berry Pancakes are a cold-morning crowd pleaser! Anne McGowan
Who Is This? Do you recognize this person? The first ten people to contact us with the correct answer will receive a prize in the mail. The gentleman pictured in the spring edition of The Leader’s “Who Is This” quiz is the late Jim Ratz, renowned climber, past owner of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, president of NOLS from 1984 to 1995, and friend to many.
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CALL OR EMAIL | 1.800.332.4280 | ALUMNI@NOLS.EDU
Kirk Rasmussen
Giving to the NOLS Fund supports people, programs, and capacities.
Make your gift today. 800.332.4280 | nols.edu/portal/alumni/giving | 284 Lincoln St., Lander WY 82520 NOLS.EDU | 31
We appreciate your support through the Covid-19 pandemic and as challenging times continue.
Thank you!
