National Outdoor Leadership School
Encyclopedia
The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), is a non-profit outdoor education
school based in the United States
dedicated to teaching environmental ethics
, technical outdoor skills, safety and judgment, and leadership
on extended wilderness expeditions. The NOLS mission is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment. NOLS runs courses on five continents, and has courses for almost all wilderness
environments and for almost any age group. Skills taught on NOLS courses include backpacking
, canoeing
, whitewater kayaking
, packraft
ing, caving
, rock climbing
, fly fishing
, horse-packing
, sea kayaking, mountaineering
, rafting
, sailing
, skiing
, and snowboarding
. NOLS has trained more than 120,000 students. College credit is available for most courses, through either the University of Utah, the University of Wyoming
or Central Wyoming College
. NOLS also has direct credit agreements with many colleges and universities.
, a world-famous mountaineer
and a member of the Army
's 10th Mountain Division, with the backing of three affluent Lander residents (Ed Breece, legislator and Petzoldt's brother-in-law; Jack Nicholas, legislator; and William Ericson, physician). Breece, Nicholas, and Ericson formed the nucleus of the early board of trustees. Petzoldt was also an early Outward Bound
Chief Instructor, , and he wanted to establish a school which promoted concentrating on refining outdoor leadership skills.
The first facility opened in 1965 at Sinks Canyon
, Wyoming
. June 8, 1965 marks the date of the founding and the first trip beginning at the trailhead of Hidden Valley ranch where 100 male students went into the Wind River Range. In the beginning NOLS struggled with finances to provide necessities for outdoor trips so developed the “uniform” made of Salvation Army donations. In 1971 the administrative offices were moved to Lander, Wyoming
, where NOLS is still based today. NOLS also has facilities in Alaska
, Washington, Arizona
, Utah
, Idaho
, Chile
, Mexico
, Canada
, Australia
, New Zealand
, the Yukon Territory
, Baffin Island
, Scandinavia
, Brazil
and India
.
NOLS grew enormously during the 1970s, due to the publicity gained by an appearance on NBC
's Alcoa Hour. The episode, titled "30 Days to Survival", followed a NOLS course through the Wind River Range
. The school's focus became more ecological
; conservation
and preservation
began to rank with leadership training in terms of emphasis. As a result of the airing, the school’s enrollment grew from 250 students in 1969 to over 750 in 1970. Also, the article, “Last Mountain Man? Not If He Can Help It”, featured the school and Paul Petzoldt
for his commitment to the school in December 1969. The growth continued; by the end of 1976, NOLS had 40 instructors and from 1976 to 1977, had enrolled 1,523 students.
to manage college credit for courses, and helped create the U.S. Leave No Trace
program. In 1989, NOLS adopted an outcome-based education model and described a core curriculum that defined what a NOLS course includes.
The changes made in the 1980s occurred due to the leadership of Peter Simer, who in 1984 decided to end his position. Jim Ratz took over and established works with the Alumni Association and built a scholarship basis.
In 1996, NOLS embarked on a 2-year project to define the NOLS leadership curriculum more precisely. In 1999, NOLS acquired the Wilderness Medicine Institute
, one of the nation's foremost trainers of wilderness medicine.
NOLS Professional Training ("NOLS Pro") was founded in 1999. This branch of the school aimed at offering portions of the school's curriculum in the form of custom-designed courses. Clients of NOLS Pro include Fidelity Bank & Trust, Google
, the International Sustainable Development Institute, NASA
, the National Park Service
, Timbuk2
, the United States Naval Academy
, the Wharton School, and Woodberry Forest School
.
), to travel the nation promoting the school, leadership, and renewable energy
. As of fall 2006, the bus had traveled to all of the 48 contiguous states.
NOLS celebrated its 45th anniversary in October 2010, with a gathering of alumni, faculty and staff in Lander. The school has gone from 100 students in 1965 to more than 120,000 graduates by 2008.
In 2010, Outside Magazine ranked the National Outdoor Leadership School as one of the best places to work. It is number twenty-eight in the September issue. NOLS among the top fifty places to work is the only non-profit educational program to make the list. The school has made the list for the past three years.
The Principles of Leave No Trace
concern social and environmental impacts which have led to ecological degradation. The program serves as an education tool to provide insight into behavior practices for people camping on the backcountry. The principles include “1. Plan ahead and prepare. 2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. 3. Dispose of waste properly. 4. Leave what you find. 5. Minimize campfire impacts. 6. Respect wildlife. 7. Be considerate of other visitors.”
, Wilderness Advances First Aid, and Wilderness First Aid.
, caving
, climbing
, fly-fishing, horsepacking, mountaineering
, rafting
, river kayaking, sailing
, sea kayaking, skiing
, snowboarding
, etc. Students gain inside into equipment such as how to choose the best for the elements and about caring for the equipment. Nutrition and hygiene glance one other out. Students learn about the proper foods for the physical activity and strain on their bodies. Proper hygiene is essential for prevention of illnesses. Learning the proper camping techniques with leave no trace
principles show how to live simplistically. Depending on the location, keeping warm becomes important to prevent sickness and allow comfort.
, in a region known as the Matanuska Valley
. It was founded in 1971. There are also operations bases in Fairbanks
and Petersburg
. Courses are offered in backpacking, canoeing, mountaineering, rafting, and sea kayaking.
in Western Australia
. Courses are offered in backpacking, canoeing, and sea kayaking. Most courses stay in northwestern Australia and sometimes mingle with local Aboriginal
groups.
of the Amazon River
, and cultural experiences with the people of the area. Special emphasis is placed on wilderness first aid, as well as appreciation of the immense biodiversity of the Amazon region.
in 1991. Courses are available in advanced wilderness first aid, backpacking, mountaineering, and whitewater rafting. Courses hike from village to village in rural regions, with at least one native Indian instructor. Emphasis is placed on the cultures of the people in the area. In association with Wildcraft
, one of India's largest outdoor and adventure gear companies, NOLS offers the Wilderness First Responder courses that are based out of Bangalore
.
on the Baja California Sur
, or the southern Baja California peninsula
. Courses are available in backpacking, sailing, and sea kayaking, and are advertised as crossing a diverse range of geography.
. Courses are available in backpacking, canoeing, coastal sailing, mountaineering, and sea kayaking.
. Founded in 1971, this branch offers courses from Oregon
to British Columbia
. Courses are available in backpacking, coastal sailing, mountaineering, rock climbing, and sea kayaking. Emphasis is placed on courses training participants to eventually move into wilderness education.
.
, NOLS world headquarters; satellite branches are located in Vernal
, Utah
and Boulder
, Wyoming
. Courses are offered backcountry skiing, backpacking, canoeing, canyon travel, fly fishing, horsepacking, kayaking, mountaineering, and rafting.
, Norway. Only one course is offered, combining sea kayaking and backpacking.
, Arizona. Flora
and fauna
of the area are focused on, as well as ruins
or the ancient cultures of the American Southwest
. Courses are available in backpacking, caving, canoeing, and rock climbing.
, Idaho, this NOLS branch showcases the scenic Teton Range
of the American Rocky Mountains
. In addition to backpacking and rafting, courses are available in canoeing, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and whitewater kayaking.
, Yukon Territory, Canada. Courses are offered in backpacking, canoeing, and mountaineering. Courses here are advertised as being the most remote, and sometime the most challenging.
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
school based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dedicated to teaching environmental ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, technical outdoor skills, safety and judgment, and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
on extended wilderness expeditions. The NOLS mission is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment. NOLS runs courses on five continents, and has courses for almost all wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
environments and for almost any age group. Skills taught on NOLS courses include backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
, packraft
Packraft
Packraft and trail boat are colloquial terms for a small, portable inflatable boat designed for use in all bodies of water, including technical whitewater and ocean bays and fjords. A packraft is designed to be light enough to be carried for extended distances...
ing, caving
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
, horse-packing
Packhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
, sea kayaking, mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, and snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
. NOLS has trained more than 120,000 students. College credit is available for most courses, through either the University of Utah, the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
or Central Wyoming College
Central Wyoming College
Central Wyoming College is a comprehensive American community college located in Riverton, Wyoming. The college includes off-campus sites in Wyoming at Jackson, Lander, Thermopolis , Dubois and the Wind River Indian Reservation. It also provides internet classes. The institution offers 2-year...
. NOLS also has direct credit agreements with many colleges and universities.
Early years
NOLS was founded in 1965 by Paul PetzoldtPaul Petzoldt
Paul Kiesow Petzoldt was one of America's most accomplished mountaineers. He is perhaps best known for establishing the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. Paul made his first ascent of the Grand Teton in 1924 at the age of 16, becoming the youngest person at the time to have done so...
, a world-famous mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
and a member of the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's 10th Mountain Division, with the backing of three affluent Lander residents (Ed Breece, legislator and Petzoldt's brother-in-law; Jack Nicholas, legislator; and William Ericson, physician). Breece, Nicholas, and Ericson formed the nucleus of the early board of trustees. Petzoldt was also an early Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
Chief Instructor, , and he wanted to establish a school which promoted concentrating on refining outdoor leadership skills.
The first facility opened in 1965 at Sinks Canyon
Sinks Canyon State Park
Sinks Canyon State Park is a Wyoming state park located in the Wind River Mountains, 6 miles southwest of Lander, Wyoming on Wyoming Highway 131. The park is named for a portion of the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. June 8, 1965 marks the date of the founding and the first trip beginning at the trailhead of Hidden Valley ranch where 100 male students went into the Wind River Range. In the beginning NOLS struggled with finances to provide necessities for outdoor trips so developed the “uniform” made of Salvation Army donations. In 1971 the administrative offices were moved to Lander, Wyoming
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
, where NOLS is still based today. NOLS also has facilities in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Washington, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Yukon Territory
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
"30 Days to Survival"
The school began to grow in the early years and in 1966, women were allowed to enroll. In 1967, The Adventure Courses began for young boys aged thirteen to fifteen.NOLS grew enormously during the 1970s, due to the publicity gained by an appearance on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Alcoa Hour. The episode, titled "30 Days to Survival", followed a NOLS course through the Wind River Range
Wind River Range
The Wind River Range , is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW-SE for approximately 100 miles . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak, which at 13,804 feet , is the highest peak...
. The school's focus became more ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
; conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
and preservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
began to rank with leadership training in terms of emphasis. As a result of the airing, the school’s enrollment grew from 250 students in 1969 to over 750 in 1970. Also, the article, “Last Mountain Man? Not If He Can Help It”, featured the school and Paul Petzoldt
Paul Petzoldt
Paul Kiesow Petzoldt was one of America's most accomplished mountaineers. He is perhaps best known for establishing the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. Paul made his first ascent of the Grand Teton in 1924 at the age of 16, becoming the youngest person at the time to have done so...
for his commitment to the school in December 1969. The growth continued; by the end of 1976, NOLS had 40 instructors and from 1976 to 1977, had enrolled 1,523 students.
1980s and 1990s
During the 1980s, NOLS continued to evolve, working on elevating the professionalism of its staff and increasing the range of courses. The number of clients also grew, and in 1980 NOLS employed 45 full-time staff members. NOLS partnered with the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
to manage college credit for courses, and helped create the U.S. Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is both a set of principles, and an organization that promotes those principles. The principles are designed to assist outdoor enthusiasts with their decisions about how to reduce their impacts when they hike, camp, picnic, snowshoe, run, bike, hunt, paddle, ride horses, fish, ski or...
program. In 1989, NOLS adopted an outcome-based education model and described a core curriculum that defined what a NOLS course includes.
The changes made in the 1980s occurred due to the leadership of Peter Simer, who in 1984 decided to end his position. Jim Ratz took over and established works with the Alumni Association and built a scholarship basis.
In 1996, NOLS embarked on a 2-year project to define the NOLS leadership curriculum more precisely. In 1999, NOLS acquired the Wilderness Medicine Institute
Wilderness Medicine Institute
The Wilderness Medicine Institute was founded in 1990 by Melissa Gray and Buck Tilton. WMI was originally headquartered in Pitkin, CO...
, one of the nation's foremost trainers of wilderness medicine.
NOLS Professional Training ("NOLS Pro") was founded in 1999. This branch of the school aimed at offering portions of the school's curriculum in the form of custom-designed courses. Clients of NOLS Pro include Fidelity Bank & Trust, Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, the International Sustainable Development Institute, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, Timbuk2
Timbuk2
Timbuk2 is a San Francisco-based messenger bags company. It was established in San Francisco in 1989 by former bike messenger Rob Honeycutt. The company was originally named Scumbags, but founder Honeycutt changed the name to Timbuk2 Designs in 1990...
, the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, the Wharton School, and Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School is a private, all-male boarding school located in Woodberry Forest, Madison County, Virginia, in the United States. Woodberry's current enrollment is 402. Students come from 28 U.S...
.
Recently
In August 2004, NOLS launched a tour on a bus fueled by RVO (Recycled Vegetable Oil, a type of biofuelBiofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
), to travel the nation promoting the school, leadership, and renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. As of fall 2006, the bus had traveled to all of the 48 contiguous states.
NOLS celebrated its 45th anniversary in October 2010, with a gathering of alumni, faculty and staff in Lander. The school has gone from 100 students in 1965 to more than 120,000 graduates by 2008.
In 2010, Outside Magazine ranked the National Outdoor Leadership School as one of the best places to work. It is number twenty-eight in the September issue. NOLS among the top fifty places to work is the only non-profit educational program to make the list. The school has made the list for the past three years.
Fatalities
The National Outdoor Leadership School currently keeps track of all injury and illness incidents for every course. The goal during the courses use the core values to improve each course through means of the curriculum . The current course finishing rate is 96.1% success rate. In terms of statistics and the fatality rate for the courses from 1984 to 1998 there were 3 fatalities (fatality rate of 0.002 per 1000 program days). Also from 1999 to 2002 there was one fatality making the rate the same (0.002 per 1000 program days). Statistically this means that for future years of NOLS courses for every 3.17 years there will be one fatality. NOLS continues to emphasis the need for risk management to lower the injury and illness statistics for courses while following the educational objectives.Mission
"The mission of the National Outdoor Leadership School is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment".Wilderness
The place where nature prevails and the survival of the students becomes the denominating factor. The places where fatalities and reality occurs. Judgment and responsibility are key to decision making for self sufficiency. Survival in the wilderness leads to inspiration and personal growth though ethics in the environment.Education
A challenge for each person to help and develop personal skills attempts to be conquered through the guides in the survival and travel in the outdoors. By meeting challenges, students gain inspiration through technical skills and studying the environment in leadership roles.Leadership
Through encouragement,s students learn though experience. Judgment and awareness of group dynamic are key in developing all characteristics of leadership.Safety
Through traveling in the environment, health and safety become priority due to the elements. With the goal of risk management in the core curriculum, good judgment leads to success in people's training.Community
With diversity and responsibility, individual passion is appreciated. Along with the group dynamic and positivity everyone cherishes with the mission and takes the job seriously.Excellence
Asking questions, going through experiences, and rejoicing in accomplishments lead overcoming the challenges and push for personal growth. Adapting to change moves towards evolving for potentially reaching goals.Leave No Trace
National Program which started in the 1960’s as an idea by the USDA Forest Service. Through the decades the program developed, and then in the early 1990s NOLS partnered with the Forest Service. 1994 marks the date of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoors Ethics founding that is a non-profit organization.The Principles of Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is both a set of principles, and an organization that promotes those principles. The principles are designed to assist outdoor enthusiasts with their decisions about how to reduce their impacts when they hike, camp, picnic, snowshoe, run, bike, hunt, paddle, ride horses, fish, ski or...
concern social and environmental impacts which have led to ecological degradation. The program serves as an education tool to provide insight into behavior practices for people camping on the backcountry. The principles include “1. Plan ahead and prepare. 2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. 3. Dispose of waste properly. 4. Leave what you find. 5. Minimize campfire impacts. 6. Respect wildlife. 7. Be considerate of other visitors.”
Wilderness Medicine Institute
This a a training section which is included in courses offered by NOLS. The location of courses which offer such training for students are in India, Mexico, New Zealand, Patagonia, Rocky Mountains, and Southwest. Training includes certification in Wilderness First ResponderWilderness First Responder
Wilderness First Responders are individuals who are trained to respond to emergency situations in remote settings. They are part of a wide variety of wilderness medical professionals who deal with medical emergencies that occur in wilderness settings....
, Wilderness Advances First Aid, and Wilderness First Aid.
Leadership
The curriculum's goal is to push students to use leadership skills and teamwork to rise up to the challenges. Suggestions for characteristics of strong leadership are as follows. Expedition Behavior means having the right attitude by staying positive. Competence is the potential for growth and being able to gain more knowledge. Communication involves verbal communication as well as body language. Judgment and Decision-Making lead into how the make the better off decisions that benefit the group. Tolerance for Adversity and Uncertainty is an aspect of any group dynamic. Leaderships should keep the positive attitude and work through the issues in a responsible manner. Self-Awareness is taking time for people's selves. Taking care of their safety and health is important to being able to function properly and making strong decisions. Vision and Action is having the initiate and knowing when the lead from behind.Outdoor Skills
The opportunities on the courses involves improving skills under activities such as backpacking, canoeingCanoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, caving
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
, climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, fly-fishing, horsepacking, mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
, river kayaking, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, sea kayaking, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, etc. Students gain inside into equipment such as how to choose the best for the elements and about caring for the equipment. Nutrition and hygiene glance one other out. Students learn about the proper foods for the physical activity and strain on their bodies. Proper hygiene is essential for prevention of illnesses. Learning the proper camping techniques with leave no trace
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is both a set of principles, and an organization that promotes those principles. The principles are designed to assist outdoor enthusiasts with their decisions about how to reduce their impacts when they hike, camp, picnic, snowshoe, run, bike, hunt, paddle, ride horses, fish, ski or...
principles show how to live simplistically. Depending on the location, keeping warm becomes important to prevent sickness and allow comfort.
Environmental studies
Throughout the courses students leaner about the Leave No trade principles and practice such skills. Students again inside into the history of their location by reading and discussing the plants, animals, geology, etc of the surroundings. Students dive into the environmental issues around the area and humans environment ethics regarding the topics.Risk management
The contact of risk management revolves around health and prevention steps for injury and risky situations. Health wise students leaner about proper body care such as foot care and boy warmth. as a unit on the course the students leaner though past experiences about judgment and group decision making through daily travel. The courses give an overview of the objective and subjective risks involved in the wilderness with step to approach the low risk decision making. Lastly, the emergency procedures are presented to go over evacuation plans and to answer many what if questions involved in injury and risky situations.Alaska
The main NOLS Alaska branch is located in Palmer, AlaskaPalmer, Alaska
Palmer is the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the state of Alaska, USA. It is part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,937....
, in a region known as the Matanuska Valley
Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Matanuska-Susitna Valley is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska....
. It was founded in 1971. There are also operations bases in Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
and Petersburg
Petersburg, Alaska
Petersburg is a city in Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,824 full time residents.- History :...
. Courses are offered in backpacking, canoeing, mountaineering, rafting, and sea kayaking.
Australia
Founded in 1996, the NOLS Australia branch is located in the town of BroomeBroome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Courses are offered in backpacking, canoeing, and sea kayaking. Most courses stay in northwestern Australia and sometimes mingle with local Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
groups.
Brazil
NOLS offers a study in Brazil. The 80-day course consists of backpacking, canoeing in the tributariesTributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
, and cultural experiences with the people of the area. Special emphasis is placed on wilderness first aid, as well as appreciation of the immense biodiversity of the Amazon region.
India
NOLS India began offering courses out of RanikhetRanikhet
Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment & Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Indian Army....
in 1991. Courses are available in advanced wilderness first aid, backpacking, mountaineering, and whitewater rafting. Courses hike from village to village in rural regions, with at least one native Indian instructor. Emphasis is placed on the cultures of the people in the area. In association with Wildcraft
Wildcraft
Wildcraft is India’s largest adventure and outdoor gear company focused around Outdoor Activities like camping, mountain climbing, trekking and backpacking. Wildcraft manufactures outdoor gear like rucksacks, backpacks, travel gear, camping gear, tents, sleeping bags, camera bags and accessories...
, one of India's largest outdoor and adventure gear companies, NOLS offers the Wilderness First Responder courses that are based out of Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
.
Mexico
The branch known as NOLS Mexico was founded in 1971, and is based out of Coyote Bay, near MulegéMulegé
Mulegé is an oasis town in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, situated at the mouth of the Río de Santa Rosalía. It is the fourth-largest community in Mulegé Municipality...
on the Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
, or the southern Baja California peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
. Courses are available in backpacking, sailing, and sea kayaking, and are advertised as crossing a diverse range of geography.
New Zealand
NOLS New Zealand was founded in 2003, and is based out of ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Courses are available in backpacking, canoeing, coastal sailing, mountaineering, and sea kayaking.
Pacific Northwest
NOLS Pacific Northwest is based out of Conway, WashingtonConway, Washington
Conway is a census-designated place in Skagit County, Washington, United States. First settled in 1873 by Thomas P. Jones and Charles Villeneuves, its population was 91 at the 2010 census...
. Founded in 1971, this branch offers courses from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Courses are available in backpacking, coastal sailing, mountaineering, rock climbing, and sea kayaking. Emphasis is placed on courses training participants to eventually move into wilderness education.
Patagonia
NOLS Patagonia is based out of Coihaique, Chile, and was founded in 1992. Courses are available in backpacking, fly fishing, mountaineering, rock climbing, and sea kayaking, and all travel extensively through the wilderness of PatagoniaPatagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Rocky Mountain
Courses from NOLS Rocky Mountain are available year round. Founded in 1965, the main base is located in Lander, WyomingLander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
, NOLS world headquarters; satellite branches are located in Vernal
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, Uintah County's largest city, is located in eastern Utah near the Colorado State Line, and 175 miles east of Salt Lake City. It is bordered on the north by the Uinta Mountains, one of the few mountains ranges in the world which lie in an east-west rather than the usual north to south...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Boulder
Boulder, Wyoming
Boulder is a census-designated place in Sublette County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Boulder is located at ....
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. Courses are offered backcountry skiing, backpacking, canoeing, canyon travel, fly fishing, horsepacking, kayaking, mountaineering, and rafting.
Scandinavia
NOLS Scandinavia is centered in NarvikNarvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
, Norway. Only one course is offered, combining sea kayaking and backpacking.
The Southwest
NOLS Southwest was founded in 1991 and is based in TucsonTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Arizona. Flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of the area are focused on, as well as ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
or the ancient cultures of the American Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. Courses are available in backpacking, caving, canoeing, and rock climbing.
Teton Valley
NOLS Teton Valley, founded in 1999, specializes in winter courses and courses combining backpacking and rafting. Located in DriggsDriggs, Idaho
Driggs is a city in Teton County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Jackson, WY-ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is located in Teton Valley. The population was 1,100 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Teton County...
, Idaho, this NOLS branch showcases the scenic Teton Range
Teton Range
The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park....
of the American Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. In addition to backpacking and rafting, courses are available in canoeing, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and whitewater kayaking.
The Yukon Territory
NOLS Yukon was founded in 1999 and is based out of WhitehorseWhitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
, Yukon Territory, Canada. Courses are offered in backpacking, canoeing, and mountaineering. Courses here are advertised as being the most remote, and sometime the most challenging.
Individuals
- Christine Boskoff, who has achieved more 8,000 meter summits than any other woman
- David BreashearsDavid BreashearsDavid Breashears is an American mountaineer and filmmaker. In 1985, he became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest twice...
, mountaineer and filmmaker - Anderson CooperAnderson CooperAnderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
anchor - Kit DeslauriersKit DeslauriersKit DesLauriers is a champion American skier and the first person to ski down the Seven Summits.She was born in Albany, New York and grew up in Westport, Massachusetts and Long Island, New York. Her grandfather built the first chairlift at Stowe Mountain in Vermont...
, first person to ski down the Seven SummitsSeven SummitsThe Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:... - Galen Dossin, Alaska hardman, Antarctic softman
- Zach GilfordZach GilfordZach Gilford is an American actor best known for his role as Matt Saracen on the NBC television drama series Friday Night Lights. Gilford starred alongside Terrell Owens in the 2008 NBA Celebrity All-Star game....
, star of Friday Night LightsFriday Night Lights (TV series)Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... - Chip Giller, founder of Grist MagazineGrist MagazineGrist is a free American liberal non-profit online magazine that has been publishing environmental news and commentary with a wry twist since 1999. Grists taglines are "Gloom and doom with a sense of humor" and "A beacon in the smog"...
- Jonathan Hamren, entrepreneur, Trustee of Project Redwood, second Executive Director of NOLS
- Sebastian JungerSebastian JungerSebastian Junger is an American author, journalist and documentarian, most famous for the best-selling book The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea, his award-winning chronicle of the war in Afghanistan in the 2010 movie Restrepo, and his 2010 book War.-Background:Junger was born...
, author of The Perfect Storm - Britton KeeshanBritton KeeshanBritton Keeshan MD, MPH , is one of the youngest persons to climb the tallest mountains on all seven continents in a feat known as the Seven Summits. He accomplished this feat on May 24, 2004, when he successfully summited Mount Everest at the age of 22 years and 179 days old...
, at one point the youngest person to achieve the Seven SummitsSeven SummitsThe Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:... - John F. Kennedy, Jr.John F. Kennedy, Jr.John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
, politician - William Harjo LoneFightWilliam Harjo LoneFightDr. William Harjo LoneFight, , is President and CEO of American Native Services, a consulting firm in Bismarck, North Dakota.An alumnus of Dartmouth College, Oklahoma City University, and Stanford University, LoneFight has served on the Board of Directors of the American Indian College Fund,...
, noted Native American author, entrepreneur and social critic - Andrew McCarthyAndrew McCarthyAndrew Thomas McCarthy is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the 1980s films St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie's, Pretty in Pink, and Less Than Zero, and more recently for his role in the television shows Lipstick Jungle, White Collar and Royal Pains.-Career:McCarthy...
, actor - Tori Murden McClure, first woman to ski to the South PoleSouth PoleThe South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
and first woman to row solo across the Atlantic - David MorrellDavid MorrellDavid Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
, author of First Blood, the novel in which RamboJohn RamboJohn Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
was created - Tom Kiernan, National Parks Conservation AssociationNational Parks Conservation AssociationThe National Parks Conservation Association is the only independent, membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System...
President - Fred Kleisner, former CEO of Wyndham HotelsWyndham WorldwideWyndham Worldwide is the holding company for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Group RCI and other lodging brands. It was spun off from Cendant Corporation in July 2006....
- Candice Carpenter Olson, co-founder of iVillageIVillageiVillage, Inc. is a media company that is owned by NBCUniversal. The site focuses on categories targeted at women, including Food, Health, Entertainment, Family, Beauty & Style. Additional businesses and brand extensions within iVillage Networks include iVillage UK, NBC Digital Health Network,...
- Phil Powers, Director of the American Alpine ClubAmerican Alpine ClubThe American Alpine Club, or AAC, was founded in 1902 by Charles Ernest Fay, and is the leading national organization in the United States devoted to mountaineering, climbing, and the multitude of issues facing climbers...
- Peter Roy, former CEO of Whole Foods Market IncWhole Foods MarketWhole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
- Tom Scott, co-founder of Nantucket NectarsNantucket NectarsNantucket Nectars is a beverage company created by Tom First and Tom Scott who met at Brown University in 1985. After graduation they headed to Nantucket where they started Allserve, a floating convenience store servicing boats in Nantucket Harbor, delivering everything from newspapers to...
- Greg Steltenpohl, former CEO of OdwallaOdwallaOdwalla Inc. is an American food product company that sells fruit juice, smoothies and food bars. It was founded in Santa Cruz, California in 1980 and is headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California....
Groups
- Most U.S and many international astronauts
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Space Shuttle ColumbiaSpace Shuttle ColumbiaSpace Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
crew
- NASA