Wilderness Medicine
This course is recommended for avid hikers, guides, and trip leaders who conduct 1-2 day outings. The course gives 16 hours of contact time in a learning setting. The course ends with a written exam, student evaluations of the experience, and graduation. Upon successful completion of the course, you will earn a Wilderness Medical Associates International wilderness medicine certification. The course may also be used to re-certify Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness Advanced First Aid, and Wilderness EMT (wilderness portion only) certifications. You must possess a valid certification from WMI, SOLO, or WMA to re-certify through this course.
Topics of study include:
- Patient assessment
- Head injuries
- Shock
- Wound management
- Altitude illness
- Cold and heat injuries
- First aid kits
Hosted by University of Lynchburg at the Claytor Nature Study Center in Bedford, Va. Instructors are provided by Wilderness Medical Associates International.
Swiftwater Rescue
Course Fee
- Students: $150
- Non-Students: $200
Course Overview
This Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Workshop will teach recognition and avoidance of common river hazards, execution of self-rescue techniques, and rescue techniques for paddlers in distress. Emphasis is placed both on personal safety and on simple, commonly-used swift water rescue skills, and fundamental and more advanced swift water rescue techniques. This 16-hour course will focus on the practical application of swiftwater rescue for both recreational paddlers, trip leaders, and guides.
Course Prerequisites
Participants should be able to competently maneuver their craft in Class I-II rapids. However, all boaters, and non-boaters with an interest in swiftwater rescue (e.g.,professional rescuers), will benefit from the class. Participants should be in good health and overall fitness, possess solid swimming ability, and be comfortable swimming in moving current during river drills. Participants should dress appropriately for weather and temperature and expect to be in the water for extended periods of time.
Leave No Trace Course
Leave No Trace (LNT) is an ethic that promotes responsible stewardship of the natural world. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching people LNT principles.
Trainer Course
This trainer course in Leave No Trace practices and ethics will increase your level of expertise and confidence in teaching Leave No Trace skills and philosophies. You will be introduced to concepts, practices, and methods that will advance your knowledge of Leave No Trace subjects. You will expand your range of minimal and low-impact skills and gain a greater ability to model and present the seven Leave No Trace principles to others.
On completion of this course, you will be registered as a Leave No Trace trainer with the national Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and will receive a certificate of course completion.
