Forty-six years ago this month …
The year was 1969. NOLS was five years old—a small school in a small town in a sparsely populated western state. In the first half-decade, only a little over 1,000 students had graduated from NOLS.
Read MoreTopics: Alumni, backcountry, Behind the Scenes, leadership, National Outdoor Leadership School, video
As NOLS continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary across the globe, the Wilderness Act celebrates its 51st. It’s not a coincidence: NOLS founder Paul Petzoldt testified before Congress in favor of the Wilderness Act more than five decades ago. And almost six months to the day after the act’s passage, Petzoldt founded NOLS.
Read MoreTopics: Environmental Stewardship, National Outdoor Leadership School, wilderness