Outdoor Education
Frazzled by Eco-anxiety? Find Respite in the Backcountry
…As you’ve probably heard or read, last month was the hottest June our planet has ever experienced — topping a prior record set in 2019. In fact, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the nine hottest Junes ever occurred over the past nine years. In addition, extreme heat creates crispy conditions, and…
Enhancing Emergency Medical Training in the Pacific Northwest: Columbia Gorge Community College Partners with The National Center for Outdoor Adventure Education to Provide Intensive EMT Training Program
…The Dalles, Oregon, 9/8/2023. Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC), with locations in The Dalles and Hood River, Oregon, announced today a partnership with a worldwide leader in outdoor education and urban and wilderness medicine training, the National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). This is one of the newest partnerships developed by CGCC to…
Wilderness Medicine
What Is Wilderness Medicine?
…When it comes to wilderness medicine, theres so much more than tree branch splints. Explore the world of wilderness medicine with NCOAE!…
Kenneth Hippe
Kenneth Hippe, WFR, is Field Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor &Adventure Education (NCOAE). A self-employed options trader by day, Kenneth is muchmore comfortable in the backcountry than working with futures and figures.Hailing from Oakton, Virginia, Kenneth is a 2018 graduate of James Madison University(Harrisonburg, VA) where he received a Bachelor of Science degree…
Mandy Goff
Mandy Goff is a field instructor for The National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education (NCOAE). Previously, Mandy worked for NCOAE’s sister organization — Education Without Walls. She is also currently the program director at Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center in Lithia, FL, and before that, was the program director and assistant director at Johnsonburg…
Watson Goh
Watson Goh has been a National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) field instructor since 2021. Prior to joining Team NCOAE, Watson was a trip leader and guide for the Outdoor Adventures program at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina), and an analyst for Cornerstone Research.Watson maintains an active membership in the Association for Experiential…
Samantha Edwards
A native of Grants Pass, Oregon, Samantha Edwards has been leading river trips for theNational Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) since 2020. When she’snot guiding NCOAE adventurers, Samantha works as an interventionist at Oregon Health& Science University’s (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, where sheprovides full-spectrum pediatric care. Before joining NCOAE as a…
Wilderness Cooking
Backcountry Gourmet — Favorite Recipes from Our Field Staff
We like to take backcountry cooking to the next level at NCOAE – Check out a few of our favorite recipes to keep yourself energized!…
Kristen Cook
Kirsten Cook is a Lead Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she brings a rare blend of outdoor leadership, scientific fieldwork, and multilingual education experience to her role. She has more than a decade of guiding, instructing, and environmental teaching experience to her credit. Born…
J.T. Schexnayder III
As the Outdoor Program Coordinator at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) in Wilmington, North Carolina, J.T. Schexnayder brings a rare blend of classroom teaching and outdoor leadership experience to every trip he plans and participates in. With a foundation in science education and a passion for the outdoors, J.T. helps NCOAE…
Wilderness Medicine
Search and Rescue Basics for Wilderness Medicine
…According to some emergency medical professionals, including one of my early mentors, every emergency medical service (EMS) call involves a search. Even in urban settings where we’re given a home address for a patient, we need to confirm the location, find it, and gain access to the patient. And even after arriving at the right…
Sustainability
Fast Fashion Has No Place in a Leave No Trace Culture
…Over the past couple of decades, outdoor adventure enthusiasts have developed a growing obsession with speed — fastest climber (ascent/descent), fastest cyclist, fastest downhill skier or snowboarder, fastest BASE jumper. Fastest, fastest, fastest. Whether you actively compete in one or more of these categories or prefer a less competitive approach to human-powered outdoor activities, you’re…
Rodney Covault
Rodney Covault serves as an EMT Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), bringing a rich and diverse background in emergency services, law enforcement, and education to his role. Originally from Lake Forest, California, Rodney has more than 15 years of experience spanning several fields. In addition to his role at…
Alison “Alie” Peterson
Alie Peterson serves as Clinical Coordinator at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), where she plays a pivotal role in supporting students as they navigate new environments and develop essential clinical skills during EMT training. Originally from Carolina Beach, North Carolina, Alie has an extensive background in healthcare. In addition to her…
Wilderness Medicine
The History of Wilderness Medicine and Why That Even Matters
…NCOAE explores the full history of wilderness medicine, including it’s origins, key developments, and the future of wilderness medicine….
Outdoor Education
There’s a Reason Why Outdoor Ed is Not Club Med
…Zac Adair, our co-founder and executive director, recently asked one of our courseparticipants why they signed up for a particular outdoor adventure. “It was a photo thatappeared on your website of a guy on top of a mountaintop with the blue skies above theglaciers in the background.” Picture yourself here. It’s a common tactic in…
Risk Management
What’s Your Plan if Your Wilderness Group Becomes Lost?
…In the 1997 film “The Edge,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, the pair find themselves lost in the Alaskan wilderness following a plane crash. The Hopkins character tells the other man that most people who become lost in the wild die of shame. “They say, ‘What did I do wrong? How could I have…
California Consumer Privacy Act
This Supplemental Privacy Notice is dated and effective January 1, 2020. NCOAE, LLC (dba, The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education)…
Outdoor Education
A Photograph Is Seldom Worth Even One Outdoor Education Experience
…Here’s an exchange that recently occurred between a tourist and myself: “What kind of camera do you use?” “What?” “What kind of camera do you use to show people what you’ve done?” “I don’t,” I replied as I stepped onto the beach, board tucked under my arm, ready to paddle out to the surfline. The…
Room & Board – On Campus
…NCOAE is headquartered on a 15-acre wooded campus that offers housing options for students enrolled in one of our programs….


