NOLS 2023 Impact Report

WHERE GRIT IS BORN AND LEADERS ARE MADE

TRUSTEE

JIMMY CHIN ON THE LEADERSHIP WE NEED

Mikey Schaefer

“

I LOVE THE EXERTION I LOVE THE WIND

I love the storms. I love the fresh air. I love the companionship in the outdoors.

I love the reality. I love the change. I love the rejuvenating spirit. I love to feel oneness with nature.”

- Paul Petzoldt, NOLS Founder

Noah Wetzel

NOLS LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

N. Stuart Harris, Chair

Amy Dominguez-Arms, Vice Chair

Jane Fried, Secretary

Noah Gottdiener, Treasurer/Asst. Secretary

Andrea (Auny) Abegglen

John Babcock

Scott Briscoe

Jimmy Chin

Danielle Dignan

Lesford Duncan

Brad Hirsch

Sarah Hiza

David Lucchino

Griffin Myers

George Phipps

Marc Randolph

Ahmad Thomas

TRUSTEE EMERITI

Joan Chitiea

Howard P. Colhoun

Fred Kleisner

Doug Luke

Michael Schmertzler

Gene Tremblay

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Andrea (Auny) Abegglen Co-Chair

Holly Beeman, Co-Chair

Kyle Barnett

Tracy Baynes

Kathleen Boyle Dalen

Joyce Choi

Caroline Dayton

Molly Graham

Gretchen

Herbert

Jack Huffard

Eric Jonsson

Sam Langer

Nadine Lehner

Martinique Lewis

Lyn Lewis

Deane Malott

JK Nicholas

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Sandy Colhoun, President

Jayme Blackburn, Chief of Staff

Jon Ferlise, Chief Financial Officer

Will Northrop

Ethan Schmertzler

Talbott Simonds

Wandi Steward

Eric M. Swanson

Bernard Van der Lande

Gretchen Warner

Tomas Wise

ADVISORY COUNCIL EMERITI

Anne Cannon

David F. Gorter

Fred J. Kleisner

Allen B. Macomber

Bill Murdock

Herman L. Stude

Melissa Gray, Director of Wilderness Medicine

Jen Sall, Interim Associate Director Expedition Operations

Liz Tuohy, Interim Director of Expeditions

Francis Van De Beuken, Director of Sales/Mktg./Comms.

Cover photo by Mikey Schaefer | Jimmy Chin, NOLS Trustee in The Bugaboos, BC, Canada

Francis Van De Beuken

“ PURSUIT IS EVERYTHING

With campuses around the world staffed by leading instructors, our reach is global, but our impact is local.

Our enthusiasm knows no bounds. We are innovative. We are agile.

But mostly, we are compassionate and curious humans who show up, live our truth, and share a passion for elevating the leader in everyone. ”

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dear NOLS Friends,

By nearly any measure, NOLS’ fiscal year 2023 was extraordinary in ways that were both challenging and deeply rewarding. In my first year as president, I can affirm that the best of NOLS is very much alive.

As an institution we faced strong headwinds that resulted in financial losses. Challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic, but have been steadily growing for a decade. In contrast, our students report powerful experiences in the backcountry and on our Wilderness Medicine courses. Our risk mitigation is, literally, the best in the world. We have reached new heights setting an all-time record for fundraising, underscoring the depth and passion our alumni and friends feel for what we do.

And what we do is change the world, one student at a time. From NASA astronauts to 14-year-old backpackers, from Wilderness Medicine EMTs to first-time sailors in Baja, NOLS is cultivating leaders and fostering abilities to thrive in remote and austere environments.

In May of 2023, I met Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. “At the Academy we manufacture consequences for the midshipmen,” he shared. “On NOLS expeditions, the consequences are real and that is where leaders are made.”

We could not agree more.

At NOLS, we elevate the leader in everyone. In a world that feels increasingly divided, this has never been more important. We believe that our classrooms are the best places in the world to grow and lead as purposeful humans. As we turn to the future, the promise of our school is extraordinarily bright and I look forward to partnering with the NOLS community to lead us into the next chapter.

Sincerely,

Sandy Colhoun President

Jean Ruby

MISSION & VISION

WE ELEVATE THE LEADER IN EVERYONE

We serve people and the environment.

Our mission is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment. Our community shares a commitment to wilderness, education, leadership, safety, community, and excellence.

EXPEDITION BEHAVIOR IS AT OUR CORE

We do our part, then go extra.

Expedition Behavior (EB) embodies actions essential for the wellbeing and effectiveness of a group or community striving towards shared objectives. It serves as the cornerstone and guiding ethos that shapes our actions, informs our pedagogy, and defines our identity.

Central to our philosophy is the emphasis on respect and collaboration, not only during our time together, but also within teams and communities long after they leave our program. This ensures that the principles of EB extend beyond the wilderness, contributing to the growth and cohesion of individuals in both their professional and personal lives.

CLICK HERE to learn more about NOLS Expedition Behavior.

Carly Gutermuth

89,374 DAYS IN FIELD

3,885 STUDENTS EXPEDITION FY23 EXPEDITIONS

394 COURSES EXPEDITION

583

INSTRUCTORS EXPEDITION

FY23 CAMPUS MAP

With 14 campuses worldwide, each with its own story to tell, the NOLS experience is both global and local.

In FY23, we ran expeditions for students aged 14 to 80 in twenty-one countries. From the Himalayas to Kilimanjaro, from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the waterways of the Adirondacks, we impart the values of humility and connection cultivated through experiences in untamed landscapes. We foster a capacity to lead authentically.

On our courses and in our own lives, wilderness values and environmental ethics are paramount. A key achievement is the installation of our largest solar setup at Rocky Mountain River Base, supported by Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program. The new 39.3 kilowatt Solar Plus Battery system enables our campus to generate 99% of its electricity, showcasing our dedication to sustainability.

NOLS PATAGONIA

NOLS EAST AFRICA

NOLS NEW ZEALAND

Tali Stopeck

EMPOWERING LEADERS

We’re an organization with heart, expertise, and wildness helping us to shape powerful, authentic experiences.

NOLS Custom Education has proven successful, exceeding expectations in cultivating effective leaders. With clients that include NASA, U.S. Naval Academy, and The Wharton School, the program’s success lies in its ability to foster a deep connection with nature, providing a transformative and empowering experience that resonates beyond the outdoor setting. Participants emerge not only as more capable leaders but also with a renewed sense of confidence and adaptability.

CUSTOM EDUCATION

10,587 956 FIELD STUDENTS FIELD COURSES DAYS IN FIELD FY23

103

BUDGET SUMMARY FY23

ALWAYS STRIVING

NOLS FY23 operating results reflect the ongoing financial challenges we faced throughout the year.

Operating revenues of $39.7 million represent a return to pre-Covid levels while programming expenses rose to $32.1 million or 14% higher Total operating expenses exceeded $46.6 million.

Support services of $13.1 million are also at historic highs, driven largely by significant investments in new technology systems and compensation increases made in FY22. In addition, NOLS continues to benefit from donors’ strong commitment to the school and its mission. Contributions of $7.6 million in cash helped to stabilize the school.

Overall, the year ended with a $6.9 million operating loss offset by $6.5 million investment returns resulting in a $0.4 million decrease in total net assets and resulting in $100 million in net assets at year end.

$4,624,850 Restricted Contributions

OPERATING RESULTS

$13,060,525 Support Services

$32,102,946 Program Revenue

$2,979,338 Unrestricted Contributions

$39,707,134 TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE

$1,479,296 Fundraising

$32,087,678 Program Expense

$46,627,499

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES

Overall, FY23 ended with a $6.9 million operating loss offset by $6.5 million in investment returns, resulting in a $0.4 million decrease in net assets, and $100 million in total net assets at year end.

CASH & ENDOWMENT VALUES

(Excluding investment returns) September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023 (in millions) September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023

Noah Wetzel

WILDERNESS MEDICINE

WE LEARN THROUGH ACTION

We draw strength from nature’s challenges.

NOLS Wilderness Medicine empowers our graduates with the knowledge and skills to provide care for the sick and injured in remote environments.

With over 300,000 alumni and another 20,000 trained and out on the trails annually, we are making the world an incrementally better place. Last year, NOLS instructed wilderness medicine courses in 45 U.S. states, 25 countries, and six different languages.

Our donor-funded initiative to create a hybrid version of our longpopular Wilderness First Responder course has been fully launched in a newly revised version and is in high demand. This hybrid version increases accessibility to students by moving some of our content online, decreasing the in-person commitment to five days.

WILDERNESS MEDICINE

92,599 DAYS CLASSROOM FY23

20,127 893 WILDERNESS MEDICINE COURSES

325

WILDERNESS MEDICINE

INSTRUCTORS WILDERNESS MEDICINE STUDENTS

Jared Steinman

WILDERNESS MEDICINE

OUR HOME SETS A HIGH STANDARD

Wyss Wilderness Medicine Campus in Lander, Wyoming is a place to learn, grow, and be immersed in an experience that opens doors for a career in medicine and the outdoors.

NOLS boasts a year-round educational and residential campus featuring LEED Certified Platinum design and stunning vistas of Lander’s Red Canyon. At the close of FY23, the NOLS Wyss Wilderness Medicine Campus achieved two significant milestones: completing its inaugural decade of service and successfully concluding the expansion project. The Wyss Campus sets a high standard for sustainability with features like solar power, composting toilets, and geothermal heating, minimizing its environmental impact.

In FY24, the campus will host 18 month-long WEMT courses. Designed as an immersive training that starts a career in medicine, students at the Wyss Campus learn not only EMT skills but also to communicate effectively, to think critically in challenging situations, to persevere through shifting conditions, and ultimately to take action in service to others.

Francis Van De Beuken

RISK MANAGEMENT

RESULTS THROUGH RESILIENCE

Risk and consequence make our education relevant and practical. Risk is inherent in the remote locations through which we travel and our approach to risk is one of respect gained through knowledge, skill, experience, and expertise.

We value critical thinking, reflection on experiences, resilience in difficult times, and commitment to our students; and we continually enhance our systems of risk management as societal expectations change, wilderness travel techniques evolve, and technology improves and develops.

Our emergency and evacuation systems worked smoothly and effectively at all our locations worldwide due to having established plans and trained staff who responded with expertise to situations as they arose.

• There were 456 medical incidents reported. The number of injuries (152) was 16 less than average, and the number of illnesses (304) was 36 more than average.

• There were 132 medical evacuations, which matches our average. The evacuation rate was 1.18 evacuations per 1,000 program days which is 7% above average.

• The majority of injuries (84%) were non-serious sprains and strains and soft tissue injuries. The most common illness was minor gastrointestinal illness (33%).

• The student performance and behavior incident rate was 1.36 per 1,000 program days and was 6% less than average.

NEAR MISS

IN THE HIMALAYAS

By Drew Leemon, NOLS Outgoing Risk Management Director

The challenges and risks of high-altitude mountaineering were never more apparent than in April 2023 when the India mountaineering course was in camp at 14,400 feet elevation.

During a snowstorm that dropped over four feet of snow in 29 hours with frequent lightning and thunder, the camp was suddenly hit by a strong force of wind and snow. It damaged tents and buried equipment, food supplies, and students and instructors in their tents in snow. The instructor’s tent, with them in it, was tumbled several times. The student tents were flattened and damaged. Some people could get out of their tents relatively easily while others needed to be uncovered from under the snow and tents. Everyone was accounted for, and no one was hurt.

The instructors and students displayed excellent leadership and expedition behavior in the aftermath of the incident to collect themselves; gather whatever gear they could locate; care for each other; and bivouac for the rest of the night against a nearby boulder. They had little food, no cooking gear, and a number of people did

not have boots; they were in a true survival situation.

The next day, weather prohibited air support or evacuation and the group began hiking out of the mountains through the snow. The India support staff responded quickly and effectively to work with the instructors, communicating with satellite phones, to devise an evacuation plan.

The course hiked a few miles and descended about 2,000 feet to a seasonal tourist/trekking facility that had a cache of food, blankets, wood, cook gear, and shelter. They hiked another day through snow and were met by a team sent by NOLS with food, footwear, and other supplies. They then hiked another day to reach a village where they were picked up by NOLS vehicles.

This was an unforgettable experience for all involved. They should take pride in their collective response, their unity in aiding one another, and their remarkable ability to make sound decisions amidst challenging circumstances. Their resilience and self-reliance enabled them to traverse the mountains safely, ensuring that no injuries occurred.

Kirk Rasmussen

ELEVATING LEADERS

NASA ASTRONAUTS

NOLS CUSTOM EDUCATION

In the words of NOLS Instructor Lynn Petzold, team cohesion and expedition behavior are two of the most important things NOLS provides to those preparing for the ultimate trip: astronauts going to space.

NOLS first worked with the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1999, when NOLS Custom Education, then called NOLS Professional Training Institute, first contracted with NASA to create specific courses just for cohorts of astronauts. Since then, many NASA astronauts—from those on former shuttle missions to those who make up the current-day crews on SpaceX flights and Artemis II missions—have taken a NOLS course in preparation for their ventures into space.

“Our role is not to teach them how to be astronauts— they get plenty of technical training from NASA and other agencies,” said Lynn, who has instructed for three decades and has led four NASA expeditions. “NOLS gets astronauts away from their multiple distractions and creates space for them to be together as a team to focus on team dynamics.”

Lynn explained that NOLS recently worked with four astronaut crew members who were preparing to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) for at least six months. Occasionally, their support staff are also course members. While the ISS is not small—according to the NASA website, the living and working space in the station is larger than a six-bedroom house, with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, and a gym—spending all day together every day for half a year can be challenging. Enter lessons in Expedition Behavior.

“We give them space to fail. It’s all about the consequences.”

- Lynn Petzold, NOLS instructor

“They are coming on a NOLS course to bond as a crew. They learn a curriculum like every other NOLS course, compressed into seven or ten days.” That course may take place in almost any domestic location other NOLS students visit.

“We’ve had NASA Leadership Expeditions in Alaska, the Wind River Range, the Absaroka Range, Utah, the Southwest, the Olympic Coastline, and Baja, Mexico,” Lynn ticked off, “and they have learned kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing, sailing, and backpacking.’

NASA’s Artemis program has a goal of returning to the Moon. Artemis missions will land the first woman

and first person of color on the Moon, establishing the first long-term presence on that celestial body. Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, who will lift off no sooner than September 2025 on a 10-day mission to circle the moon, is a two-time NOLS graduate.

Lynn shared that these are highly proficient students who move rapidly through skill sets. “We are always attentive to the consequences of any NOLS course, but we recognize that they are likely higher for astronauts. Misplacing a tool while backpacking is inconvenient but takes on new meaning in space.”

Lynn Petzold

NASA Astronauts and NOLS instructors, San Juan Islands, Washington State

ELEVATING LEADERS

MEET JIMMY CHIN

NOLS TRUSTEE

Chris Figenshau

It’s a point of pride for NOLS Trustee Jimmy Chin. The only desk job he ever held was working the NOLS Lander reception desk, a role he held for just a few weeks before being offered a spot on a NOLS instructors course. The rest is history. An internationally acclaimed photographer, professional climber and global citizen, Jimmy and his wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi are also acclaimed filmmakers boasting an Academy Award, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA, and the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award. The films keep coming at a relentless pace. His most recent feature film Nyad follows success as a documentarian with films such as Free Solo, Wildlife and The Rescue. When he’s not on set, he’s climbing, skiing, or planning his next adventure.

It’s hard to keep pace with Jimmy on any day, especially on a mountain, and yet Jimmy chooses to dedicate his precious free time to serve on the NOLS Board of Trustees. We sat down to gather a few of his thoughts on why NOLS is so important to him and the world.

“The school had a very significant impact on my life,” answered the former NOLS Instructor. “I aspired to teach for NOLS because I knew its reputation. For me, being an instructor was an opportunity for growth and learning, both personally and technically, and an opportunity as a teacher to have a positive influence on others.”

Jimmy said that NOLS is creating great leaders for the future—and not just in the outdoors. “Expedition behavior applies across any business, medicine, or science to work well within a team,” he said. “It helps create the type of leadership we need right now in the world.”

The power of being in the wilderness with NOLS is that it strips you bare, he said. “The mountains, the weather, they don’t care who you are, where you’re from, what race or creed or cultural or religious background you’re from.” Everyone, Jimmy pointed out, is equal when you’re in the wilderness.

“I really do believe that NOLS is one of the most powerful programs to teach leadership and to help

people find their purpose and meaning,” he continued. “To build confidence, to understand how to work with people in high-stakes situations, and to open up your viewpoint.”

While directing Nyad, the biographical drama that recounts 60-year-old Diana Nyad’s obsessive quest to swim the 110-mile trek from Cuba to Florida, Jimmy had to walk on to the set in front of a 400-person crew “with the confidence that I was going to face extraordinary challenges but that I would lead the best that I could and know that I could overcome those challenges.”

“Expedition behavior applies across any business, medicine, or science to work well within a team. It helps create the type of leadership we need in the world.”

- Jimmy Chin

Co-directing with his wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi at that level means facing very, very high stakes every day, Jimmy said, “but it all came down to putting together those teams, having the leadership skills, and that baseline expedition behavior. That’s the only way I could have ever finished any of these films, you know.”

“Putting together teams and leading those teams is at the foundation of all of the work I’ve done, whether putting together expeditions to the Himalayas, organizing big photo shoots, and certainly for big productions,” Jimmy answered with conviction. “I personally know the impact that NOLS can have on a person.”

ELEVATING LEADERS

Martinique “Marty” Lewis is a veteran traveler who works to inspire others and to diversify the travel industry. She’s the president of the Black Travel Alliance and host of National Geographic’s Black Travel Across America. She deeply believes that diversity and representation matter, an idea that resonated with her first exposure to NOLS.

In 2018, Marty attended the Nomadness Festival in Oakland, California, as part of her work for the sponsor organization, Nomadness Tribe, a lifestyle brand working to show the world that travel has no racial, gender, religious, economic, or interest limitations.

NOLS had a rock-climbing experience at the festival, and Marty, an Oakland native, had never climbed before. “I’d never even heard the word mountaineer before,” she recounted. Two Black men were teaching people how to climb, and she stopped to learn.

Those men were then-NOLS Instructor Justin Forrest Parks and Tyrhee Moore, a member of the firstever African American team to summit Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. The documentary Expedition Denali, which captured the ascent, premiered two days after the Nomadness Festival.

That moment at the Nomadness Festival was her first encounter with NOLS and was the beginning of something new. Seeing Black people who adventure in the outdoors matters, Marty explained, because when you don’t see someone “who looks like you,” you might not otherwise do it.

Marty calls herself a diversity and travel consultant, a term she coined about seven years ago when people weren’t consulting about travel regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. She observed, experienced, and has since spoken up about injustices throughout the travel space with people from historically underrepresented communities.

When someone like Tyrhree Moore returns to his home in Southside Washington, DC, dressed in North Face gear from head to toe, having just completed an expedition to the top of a mountain in Alaska, Marty said, that is a game changer. It empowers those who love the outdoors but have never heard of NOLS or never even said out loud, “I love the outdoors.” It helps them know there is a safe space for everyone.

“Representation matters and somebody seeing me on the NOLS Advisory Council could be why a Black person wants to get into the outdoors and do a NOLS course.”

- Marty Lewis

Marty currently serves on the NOLS Advisory Council—a group of volunteer advisors to the Board of Trustees—to help spread this message. She said NOLS’ support has changed her trajectory on Black people in the outdoor space. “If I were to have had that same experience at the Nomadness Festival and it wasn’t with two Black men, I’m not sure I would even have walked up to the rock-climbing set up. Representation matters in that space, and somebody seeing me on the NOLS Advisory Council could be why a Black person wants to get into the outdoors and do a NOLS course.”

MEET

MARTY LEWIS

NOLS ADVISORY COUNCIL

Philip Calvert

ELEVATING LEADERS

MEET

DR. HERBIE OGDEN

NOLS OUTGOING MEDICAL

ADVISOR

Susannah Storch

“

I’m the poster child for a lifelong relationship with NOLS,” Herbie Ogden said. “Mine is 48 years long, and it’s still going on!”

Herbert “Herbie” G. Ogden, MD, an emergency medicine physician in Longmont, Colorado, retired as NOLS’s medical advisor in October 2023 after serving in that position for 32 years. His connection to the school, though, began much earlier. Herbie took his first NOLS course, a Fall Semester in the Rockies, in 1975. He enrolled on the course after a college friend, former instructor and staff member, Molly Hampton, introduced him to the school. “I applied and was surprised: not only did they accept me—considering I gave my home address as ‘The Cosmic Outpost of the Bold’—they gave me a scholarship!” Herbie recalled, astonishment still evident in his voice. He became an instructor three years later, mostly leading courses in the Rockies and Alaska.

For the next seven years, Herbie intermittently instructed at NOLS while working a patchwork of other jobs—sales manager for a country-music radio station, illustrator for an animated children’s film, and bicycle messenger in Manhattan—until NOLS helped him find his way.

Thanks to wilderness medicine scenarios on courses and a fascination with high-altitude physiology, Herbie’s interest in medicine was stirred. He left NOLS and enrolled in a post-baccalaureate pre-med program.

After four years at The University of Pennsylvania Medical School, three years at an Emergency Medicine residency in Los Angeles, and starting a family (he and his wife Sheila have two adult children, both NOLS alumni), he was pulled back to NOLS. Indeed, because of his friends Jim Ratz, Kevin McGowan, and others, he never felt too far away from the school.

When he completed his residency in 1991, “Jim, NOLS’ Executive Director at the time, asked me to be the school’s medical advisor, a newly created position, and also nominated me to be on the Board of Trustees.

For the first time in NOLS’ history, we did medical screenings ahead of courses. More importantly, I worked with Tod Schimelpfenig to create the NOLS field and drug protocols, a unique, proprietary standard in the outdoor education industry to take care of students in the field.” This was edited each year and implemented on every NOLS course under the watchful eye of Tod, Drew Leemon, and the Risk Management department.

“I’ve worn many hats during the journey. Each has been cherished and unforgettable.”

- Dr. Herbie Ogden

“As a Board, we took trips to campuses and ate with students—new practices to have Trustees connect with the school.” Herbie not only helped set medical policy for NOLS, but he was often part of the ‘in-town’ team, taking calls from instructors in the field, using satellite phones from mountain tops, asking him for advice in problemsolving medical situations.

Secretary of the Board of Trustees in 1994 and ’95 and vice chair from ’95 through ’97, Herbie acknowledged he brought a different perspective to the table. “I was probably the first Board member who’d been an instructor,” he said. “It was a valuable point of view I brought to Board meetings.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Herbie said, “NOLS gave me so much in return. Aside from the incredible wilderness experiences, I developed wonderful lifelong relationships, matured as a person, and found myself over and over. I’ve worn many hats during the journey, and each has been cherished and unforgettable.”

PHILANTHROPY

STRONGER THROUGH UNITY

Your generosity has propelled NOLS to new heights, enabling us to reach unprecedented levels of impact.

Collective efforts to raise an incredible $9.6 million in new pledges and cash gifts have made 2023 a record-breaking fundraising success, further amplifying the transformative influence on the lives of those you support. Gifts of note include two $1 million+ commitments, a record $1.9 million in deferred (planned) gifts, and $3.2 million in the NOLS Fund.

Your generosity fuels essential initiatives at NOLS. Annually, over 900 students receive nearly $2 million through the NOLS Scholarship Program, broadening access to wilderness education. Your support also extends to sustainability and wildland protection and drives crucial research and curriculum development, optimizing student safety and program effectiveness through tailored rations and field incident data collection.

FY23 marked the single best year of fundraising in NOLS history.

$9,600,000 RECORD BREAKING FY23

Oscar Manguy

PHILANTHROPY

MOMENTUM

POWERS US

Acts of generosity can catalyze a broader wave of support.

The cumulative impact of giving by the NOLS community creates a powerful and united force producing outcomes that are more significant and far-reaching than what any single donation could accomplish alone.

To continue the momentum into 2024, three anonymous families have pledged gifts totaling an incredible $4 million to support NOLS. Your gifts will be matched dollar for dollar until the $4 million limit is reached.

With over $2 million in donations, we are halfway to the summit. Your generosity opens doors for NOLS students to explore, learn, and grow in ways that will have a lasting impact on their lives. Be part of something bigger––your support brings us one step closer to reaching our goal.

BJ Klophaus

ROTHBERG-BIRDWHISTELL EXPLORATION FUND

MOVING THE NEEDLE THROUGH PHILANTHROPY

David Rothberg and Nan Birdwhistell have a passion for exploration. The duo has participated in 22 NOLS expedition courses and alumni trips. And thanks to a fund they have created with NOLS, they are making exploration more accessible to those at the heart of every NOLS experience—our instructors.

In the spirit of adventure, the husband-and-wife duo— along with sons Jason, a NOLS grad, and Daniel, a former instructor—created the Rothberg-Birdwhistell Exploration Fund in 2022.

The fund was established to support NOLS instructors as they design and execute wilderness expeditions that engage and sharpen their planning and expedition skills, require initiative, and exhibit a sense of adventure. The focus is on challenging, self-planned, remote wilderness expeditions. By design, these trips mirror the spirit of NOLS: extended time in remote places, working hard, and caring for each other. The Rothberg-Birdwhistell Exploration Fund supports expenses like gear, permits, food or rations, travel, and technology.

Active NOLS field instructors are eligible for RothbergBirdwhistell Exploration Fund support once every fiscal year, with preference given to those who have worked NOLS courses in the previous 12 months and have a work request for an upcoming season. In the short time since the fund was established, 15 expeditions by NOLS instructors have occurred, five in the first year and 10 in the second, with awards from the fund ranging between $500 and $3,000 per person.

Part of the agreement with the fund is that instructors will share the outcomes of their expedition and any learnings in a presentation after completion.

“David and Nan want to inspire that sense of exploration that so many of our instructors share,” said NOLS Director of Annual Giving Lindsay Turner, who works with the couple to implement the Rothberg-Birdwhistell Exploration Fund. “Finding funding for personal expeditions or even taking time off can be a financial barrier for instructors to access this type of professional development.”

Lindsay highlighted that exploration is part of NOLS’ ethos and that experience, practice, and reflection help build competence, skills, and a sense of adventure. Instructors concur and are deeply satisfied with outcomes.

“The instructors and NOLS have provided such incredible outdoor training, confidence building, and leadership skills to our family and so many thousands of others,” Nan Birdwhistell said. “We are happy that we have been able to give back to their development and the continuation and strengthening of NOLS’s many contributions.”

“We are absolutely thrilled we helped provide this opportunity for NOLS instructors to follow their dreams.”

- Nan Birdwhistell

Oscar Manguy

EXPEDITION FIELD NOTES MT. HAYES

ALASKA

ROTHBERG-BIRDWHISTELL EXPLORATION FUND

East Ridge of 13,832’ Mt. Hayes in the Eastern Alaska Range, 2+

Morgan Comey

DATES: April 23 to May 5, 2023

GOAL: To improve our mountaineering and route-finding skills in a remote area, to connect to a place in a state that most of our expedition members call home, and to have a space to share experiences, stories, and community as professional women in the avalanche and mountaineering world.

EXPEDITION MEMBERS: Morgan Comey, Mary Gianotti, Maddie Gavagin-Martin, Taylor Bracher, and Taylor Guetschow

NAVIGATING CHANGE

By Morgan Comey, NOLS Instructor

The plan was to gather a group of strong, capable women to be in the mountains, learning from and with each other and experiencing a trip as a team instead of as professionals leading others. We picked a remote, rarely climbed objective, beautiful, and appropriate challenge for all group members: the East Ridge of Mt. Hayes in the Eastern Alaska Range. We’d fly to the Trident Glacier, where we would attempt to summit a 3-day push up the steep and crevassed ridge East Ridge. If we had amazing weather, we’d tack on additional climbing or nearby ski mountaineering objectives.

Of course, things rarely go as planned. Teammate Taylor G was our weather gal, texting up a storm on her inReach with two folks at home to get access to different weather models. Things weren’t looking good. Our maximum forecasted weather window in the next ten days was a whopping 24 hours. While bummed, we felt we could still learn a lot from a big day out, and we were already deep into forming lasting friendships, pondering all of life’s questions and laughing our faces off.

After a lengthy discussion about whether we should plan to move our camp to 9200’ and potentially descend in a storm the following day or do as big of a push as we could in one, we settled for going light and fast. Leaving our basecamp behind as early as possible, we worked our way up a big slope toward the summit ridge. It was excellent route-finding, decision-making, and moving efficiency as a group of women that brought some challenges but mostly rewards.

As we approached the summit ridge, we noticed large clouds beginning to gather. The bad weather we were expecting came early. We turned around, but only after we got a perfect look at the East Ridge of Mt. Hayes. It was intimidating; the terrain was steeper and more cracked than it appeared in outdated pictures we’d seen. Even so, our most experienced members saw an appropriate line and felt confident in our group’s ability to work through it in better conditions.

When we returned to basecamp, it was gusty (estimated 60+ mph on the ridge) and cold, and we were grateful for our choice. The 9200’ ridge we intended to camp on had primarily consisted of an enormous, rock-hard cornice, which would have made creating a camp to endure those winds extremely difficult, if not impossible. We hunkered, equally disappointed in the elements and appreciative of the space we’d created to process and problem-solve. We added improvements to our wind walls. We eventually accepted that another weather window wasn’t coming by the end of our allotted time.

We made it back to Fairbanks, alive and well, with new skills, all our toes, an adventure under our belts, and respect for one another. In other words, we came out with no regrets, except maybe wishing we’d brought a little more chocolate. This March, teammate Taylor B gave birth to a healthy son after deciding, in that windstorm, that it was time for her to become a mom.

DATES: July 5 to August 18, 2023

GOAL: To improve our expedition canoeing skills, work together to manage risk in a very remote setting, learn how to plan and execute a logistically complex expedition, and connect to place by learning about its people and environment.

EXPEDITION MEMBERS: Brooks Allman, Léne Epp, Maya Gotzsche, Heather Myers, Rachel Nethercut, and Eli Simmer

ARCTIC IMMERSION

By Léne Epp and Heather Myers NOLS Instructors

Over the summer of 2023, six of us paddled the Back River, called Haningayok in Inuktitut, which translates to Great Fish River, and Thlewechodyeth in Tłıchǫ Yatıì. This river is on the lands of the Inuit, Dene, and Northwest Territories Métis peoples in the Canadian territories of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. It is the longest river entirely above treeline in Canada’s “barren lands.” We spent 44 days following the river on its 650-mile journey from Muskox Lake to the Arctic Ocean. We ran, portaged, or lined approximately 80 rapids along the way.

In late June, we convened in Lander, Wyoming, to pack our rations and gear (thanks to NOLS for lots of assistance). From there, we drove to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, for four days. We began our journey north after a float plane drop on Muskox Lake. We did not encounter any other humans until reaching the Arctic Ocean.

The river changed dramatically in character over its journey from source to sea, beginning with shallow, rocky sections of the river where we did a lot of boat dragging. The flow picked up as the river took in tributaries along its course. Our first big lake was Beechey Lake, where we temporarily switched to a night schedule to avoid stronger winds during the day. We paddled in beautiful extended golden hour light with only a few hours of dusk between sunrise and sunset. At the end of Beechey, we had our first big portage and the by far worst bugs of the

trip! Then, the river alternated sections of fast-moving water with many runnable rapids and slow, shallow rivers moving through landscapes of glacial sand deposits.

We reached a section of huge lakes about halfway through the trip, requiring many big open-water crossings. We were extremely fortunate to have calm conditions for nearly the entire week it took to pass through this section.

After the lake section, the river took on a new character. It was much stronger, wider, and faster. These characteristics caused us to change how we made decisions about running rapids. The rapids changed from mostly short and isolated to longer and more complex. This presented many challenges, both physically and mentally. After Wolf Rapid, the river changed in nature, staying strong but with very few rapids. As a result, we could make bigger mileage days and reach the Arctic Ocean only one day later than we had originally planned.

The next day, some folks from the Hunters and Trappers Association in Gjoa Haven picked us up in motorboats. They transported us across part of the Northwest Passage to the small Inuit town of Gjoa Haven on King William Island. Our travel was delayed due to fires in Yellowknife, and we spent a few days in Gjoa Haven. We were sad to leave so soon when we unexpectedly found a flight out with help from some folks back home. At last, we returned to our respective homes, saying goodbye to the Arctic until next time.

FIELD NOTES BACK RIVER CANADA

ROTHBERG-BIRDWHISTELL EXPLORATION FUND

Nunavut/Northwest Territories, Canada

Inuit, Dene and Northwest Territories Métis land

Back River indigenous names: Haningayok in Inuktitut, which translates to Great Fish River, and Thlewechodyeth in Tłıchǫ Yatıì

Heather Myers

PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT

“Even in situations of uncertainty, I felt composed and confident, and I realized I had more strength than I realized, both physically and mentally.”

- Colby College student

Misael Beltran-Guzman

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO ACCESS

COLBY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP EXPEDITIONOPY

Colby College, a small liberal-arts college in Waterville, Maine, has a unique relationship with NOLS that has evolved and adapted over the last ten years to remove barriers to access to a NOLS education for some of their students. This is made possible thanks to donor support and a partnership with the college’s Outdoor Education program, formerly led by NOLS instructor SJ Tinker. In 2022, several years into the original partnership, scholarship funding was broadened to include additional costs, which brought about a substantial increase in interest and participation from students. Conversations and partnership around equity and access to the outdoors deepened, and in 2023, the Colby College Leadership Expedition (or CCLE) launched through renewed support from this anonymous donor, showcasing a creative approach to philanthropy that provides more than tuition. Very similar to the impacts of our other Access Partner and Peak Scholar programs, this NOLS Custom Education course supplies travel and equipment support for students underrepresented in the outdoors.

SJ Tinker, the former Director of Outdoor Education and Leadership at Colby College and a NOLS instructor, said, “What these students were in need of

were supportive environments to gain experience in backcountry travel, camp craft, leadership and teaching. The CCLE provides a crucial and tangible step towards bridging this gap, allowing the cohort to create a positive learning environment and gain the skills and confidence they desire.”

The program served seven students in its first year, and the second cohort just completed a course in January 2024. Their stories are inspirational and unique, but there’s one common denominator across them all: each student declared this to be a transformative outdoor experience that’s difficult to express in words.

An example: A CCLE student recounted that she “never experienced living with the earth in the way that we did for the week in the field, but it was an experience that I will never forget. Even in situations of uncertainty, I felt composed and confident, and discovered that I had more strength than I realized, both physically and mentally.”

For this student and their coursemates, SJ Tinker noted, “We effectively created a new definition for ‘who leads in the outdoors.’ I am left with no doubt that the Colby College Leadership Expedition has changed the lives of these students forever.”

18 COUNTRIES VISITED FY23

WE ARE FOREVER BOUND BY EXPERIENCE

The bond among NOLS alumni is strengthened by shared experiences.

Sixty-one alumni trips, meticulously crafted for NOLS graduates and their companions, have provided participants with exhilarating outdoor adventures while introducing their loved ones to the NOLS ethos. These trips typically last one week and cater to a diverse range of interests and ages, from family-friendly rafting expeditions to scaling the world’s highest peaks. With participants typically spanning ages 20 to 70, there’s a vibrant mix of experiences.

The shared identity of being NOLS alumni brings these groups together, and the shared experience deepens their connection to the outdoors and to NOLS.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re continuously adding new trips both domestically and globally. We envision NOLS alumni traveling to Greece for rock climbing, Fiji for sea kayaking, and South Africa, Brazil, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia for cultural and hiking expeditions.

Most notably, we’re embarking on our most audacious adventure yet. Our alumni will spend three months kayaking from Washington to Alaska along the storied sea kayaking route, the Inside Passage.

Travis Welch

WITH GRATITUDE

Dear Friends,

Your presence and commitment are invaluable, shaping the fabric of our NOLS community. Thank you for being an integral part of this collective journey, where shared values and mutual support fortify us. Together, we draw inspiration from the principles that bind us—resilience, unity, and the unwavering belief that our shared experience transcends challenges.

To young adults, astronauts, national leaders, and the biosphere upon which our health and wealth depend, the NOLS mission and our transformational education have never been more critical.

As we step into 2024, our spirits are high, and the energy is infectious. With collective determination, we look forward to a productive year ahead. Together, we’re ready to tackle challenges, celebrate successes, and make 2024 a year of growth, community, and achievement.

Sincerely,

Dr. N. Stuart Harris NOLS Board Chair

OUR PROFOUND APPRECIATION

We recognize the FY23 donors whose generosity has helped us reach record-breaking new heights. CLICK HERE to view the comprehensive list.

Oscar Manguy