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This teaching guide provides basic information on training outdoor leaders for a wilderness course at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Lander, Wyoming. The first chapter, "Teaching at NOLS," overviews teaching fundamentals and describes teaching techniques such as the use of demonstrations, modeling, formal classes, inquiry, teachable moments, debriefing, story telling, and games. The remaining chapters include: (2) Outdoor Living Skills, which covers backpacking, campsite selection, tent and fly pitching, sanitation, stove use and care, nutrition, fire building, fishing, and other skills relevant to outdoor education (3) Mountain Travel, focusing on travel and hazard evaluation skills such as trail techniques, map reading, hazard evaluation, risk management, route finding, compass navigation, and river crossings; (4) Leadership and Teamwork, which outlines information for teaching outdoor leadership and judgment skills related to expedition behavior, student teaching experiences, and expedition planning; (5) Environmental Studies, covering topics related to land management practices, natural sciences, physical sciences, and environmental ethics; and (6) First Aid, covering basic skills such as patient assessment, soft tissue injuries, cold injury, dehydration, shock, altitude illness, and emergency procedures. Each instructional topic includes a general statement related to the relevance of the subject, educational goals, specific course information related to educational goals, effective teaching methods, and a list of resources for locating additional information on a topic's key points. Appendices include tips for student leader exercises, a list of effective leadership habits and skills, and strategies for fostering initiative among student leaders. (LP)

This brochure was developed as part of a national education program whose mission is to educate wildland user groups, federal agencies, and the public about minimum impact camping. The brochure lists principles for conservation of the environment in outdoor activities and discusses conservation techniques to minimize impact in backcountry and wilderness areas. The principles of the program concern: (1) backcountry trip planning and preparation; (2) concentrating impacts in high use areas; (3) spreading use and impact in pristine areas; (4) avoiding places where impact is just beginning; (5) picking up and packing out all litter; (6) properly disposing of waste; (7) leaving what you find; and (8) the proper use of campfires. Technical details are offered for making judgments about how to minimize impact and the rationale behind recommended practices. (LP)

This outdoor-education book describes methods of hiking and camping that minimize the human impact upon the natural environment. Each chapter offers the rationale behind recommended practices, based on the best scientific research on recreational impact. The first chapter, "The Case for Minimum Impact," describes increasing tourist use of wildlife areas and the resulting negative effects. The second chapter, "Backcountry Travel" looks primarily how to reduce the environmental impact of hiking. It describes how to hike across different types of terrain while maintaining the quality of trails, land, and wildlife. Chapter 3, "Selecting and Using a Campsite," discusses terrain characteristics that are prone to suffer most from recreational camping. It discusses camp locations and the amount and type of use a campsite should have. Chapter 4 discusses "Fires and Stoves," their use, effects, and safety. Chapter 5 examines "Sanitation and Waste Disposal," including ways for disposing of various kinds of waste in order to maintain water-table purity. Chapters 6-11 explain minimum-impact camping methods for the following "special environments": deserts; rivers and lakes; coastal areas; alpine and arctic tundra; snow and ice; and bear country. Two additional chapters make a final case for low-impact camping and offer a list of 45 resources for further reading. (TES)