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Tuesday, October 18
 

07:00 EDT

Pre - Conference Check In
Registration Table 
Tuesday October 18, 2022 07:00 - 08:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Foyer Double Tree by Hilton Vermont, Burlington
  Pre-Conference

08:00 EDT

Pre-Conference Full - Waitlist Only Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Recertification
This session is expected to sell out quickly!
Pre-Conference
Additional cost $345.
Review, practice, and stay on top of your skills with NOLS Wilderness Medicine's Wilderness First Responder Recertification Course! This scenario-based approach to recertification provides you the opportunity to test your skills against realistic situations.
You'll practice and relearn wilderness medicine protocols, review evacuation and decision making guidelines, and receive the latest updates in wilderness medicine over the course of two days.
Check out the online resources ahead of time, because you'll start the course with a written exam! You'll learn both in the classroom and in outdoor settings regardless of weather, so come prepared for wet, muddy, cold or hot environments!
Please carefully review the COVID Vaccination Policy for this program.
Tuesday October 18, 2022 08:00 - Wednesday October 19, 2022 17:00 EDT
TBA
  Pre-Conference

08:00 EDT

Pre-Conference Risk Management Training for Administrators (NOLS)
Pre-Conference Session - Additional Cost $800 
Whether your program is small or large, wilderness based, or study abroad, you have the responsibility to your staff and participants to invest in risk management planning. Building a comprehensive risk management plan can feel daunting. Our goal is to provide you a structured approach and tools to build a risk management plan appropriate for your organization. We've spent more than 50 years managing risk in wilderness environments around the world, and we're always learning. Join us to connect and share your valuable experience with peer programs, and let us share our experience and lessons learned with you.
Tuesday October 18, 2022 08:00 - Wednesday October 19, 2022 17:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Pre-Conference

08:00 EDT

Pre-Conference Wilderness Emergency Medical System Medical Directors Course (WEMSMDC)
Pre-Conference - Additional cost $600.
Registration for WRMC is not required in order to attend the WEMSMDC.
The first Wilderness EMS Medical Director training endorsed by both the National Association of EMS Physicians® and the Wilderness Medical Society™. The premier training program for healthcare providers involved in Wilderness EMS medical direction and oversight. As interest in outdoor sports grows, so do expectations for rescue services and the volume of EMS calls in wilderness (also known as austere or resource-deficient) areas. However, until now there has been no professional society-recognized training for physicians to provide this type of EMS oversight. Many physicians have extensive EMS training, but little wilderness medical experience. Similarly, many physicians have deep wilderness or wilderness medical training, but little exposure to the EMS operational environment or EMS oversight. To address this issue, the Wilderness EMS Medical Director Course was developed to support physicians and other healthcare providers tasked with providing medical oversight to EMS systems operating in a variety of wilderness environments. The Wilderness EMS Medical Director course operates under the dual support of the National Association of EMS Physicians® and the Wilderness Medical Society™. This course will particularly appeal to physicians responsible for medical oversight of search and rescue teams, technical rescue teams, ski patrols, disaster teams, and EMS systems responding to remote or wilderness areas. However, a central tenet of the Course is that all operational areas may have characteristics of austere medical care at some time, and that medical directors need to be as flexible as field caregivers in addressing those situations.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins

Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins

Medical Advisor, North Carolina Outward Bound School, SCA, REI
Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins, a physician board certified in both emergency medicine and EMS and a Master Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, is a frequent WRMC lecturer. He is REI, SCA, and NC Outward Bound School’s medical advisor and Wilderness Medicine Magazine’s executive... Read More →

Tuesday October 18, 2022 08:00 - Wednesday October 19, 2022 17:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Pre-Conference

15:00 EDT

Pre-Conference Adventure Risk Research Symposium (4th annual)
ONLINE Only - The 4th Annual Adventure Risk Research Symposium, Chaired by Dr. Jeff Jackson and Dr. Clare Dallat, connects researchers and shares findings from those working on adventure and wilderness risk & safety research. The focus is on empiricism as a means of improving understanding of practice for adventure risk management and safety. Presenters submitted their peer reviewed research papers earlier in the year, and will present their research during this workshop. Both presenters and non-presenters are invited to join us and contribute to the discussion.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Jeff Jackson

Dr. Jeff Jackson

Professor, Coordinator, Algonquin College
Jeff Jackson, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator and longtime contributor to the WRMC, introducing concepts such as sensemaking and systems planning. Jeff is a professor and coordinator of Algonquin College's Outdoor Adventure guide training diploma, where he oversees 10,000 student... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Clare Dallat

Dr. Clare Dallat

Founder and Director, Risk Resolve
Dr. Clare Dallat is the founder and director of Risk Resolve, a service that provides educational and risk management services for schools, organisations, and government agencies across Australia, the United States, Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Clare has a Ph.D. in Engineering Psychology... Read More →

Tuesday October 18, 2022 15:00 - 22:00 EDT
Online link in Event Description
  Pre-Conference
 
Wednesday, October 19
 

07:00 EDT

Pre - Conference Check In
Registration Table 
Wednesday October 19, 2022 07:00 - 08:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Foyer Double Tree by Hilton Vermont, Burlington
  Pre-Conference

08:00 EDT

Full Pre-Conference Contemporary Incident Analysis Method Training - Learning Accimap
This pre-conference workshop is full.  Please do not add to your schedule.

Accidents in outdoor and adventure programs are caused by multiple interacting, and contributory factors. This workshop will provide you with the capability, principles and tools to perform system-wide analyses in your own organisation. The Accimap method (Rasmussen, 1997) has been used to analyse accidents in multiple domains including aviation, patient safety, outdoor education, terrorism, and marine safety. You’ll leave with a detailed understanding of how to plan, conduct and communicate your findings to a range of organisational audiences.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Clare Dallat

Dr. Clare Dallat

Founder and Director, Risk Resolve
Dr. Clare Dallat is the founder and director of Risk Resolve, a service that provides educational and risk management services for schools, organisations, and government agencies across Australia, the United States, Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Clare has a Ph.D. in Engineering Psychology... Read More →
avatar for Professor Paul Salmon

Professor Paul Salmon

Professor, Human Factors, University Of Sunshine coast
Paul M. Salmon is a professor in Human Factors and is the director of the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Paul has over 21 years’ experience of applied safety research in areas such as transport, defence, sport and outdoor... Read More →
avatar for Stuart Slay

Stuart Slay

Senior Director of Risk and Safety Management, Student Conservation Association
Stuart serves as the Senior Director of Risk and Safety at the Student Conservation Association, where he also represents the SCA on the WRMC steering committee. Prior to serving with the SCA, Stuart directed Chadwick International School’s Outdoor Education Program in South Korea... Read More →

Wednesday October 19, 2022 08:00 - 17:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Pre-Conference

08:00 EDT

FULL Pre-Conference Understanding White Dominant Culture in Outdoor Organizations
THIS SESSION IS FULL - PLEASE DO NOT ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

Pre-Conference - Additional cost $50
Go beyond a baseline understanding of white privilege and begin to understand the subtle ways white culture informs your organization’s approach to risk management. This work allows us to study our internal landscapes, engage in community dialogue, and reflect on our workplaces. By grappling with difficult and sometimes uncomfortable ideas, we will grow as inclusive risk managers. We’ll bring new awareness and specific action ideas back to our organizations, in service of more just communities.
Speakers
avatar for Lindsay Babbitt

Lindsay Babbitt

Director of Outdoor Education, Catlin Gabel School
I reside and work on the present and ancestral lands of the Chinook, Cowlitz, Tualatin Kalapuya, Kathlamet, Atfalati, and Clackamas people.Lindsay Babbitt is annually reenergized by the community of people at the WRMC. She has led youth outdoor programming and conservation crews all... Read More →

Wednesday October 19, 2022 08:00 - 17:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Pre-Conference

08:00 EDT

Pre-Conference Foundations of Stress Injury and Awareness
Pre-Conference - Additional cost $160
The landscape of stress impact and injury in the outdoor industry continues to evolve in the face of climate, political, technology and global stressors. This course offers an overview of 4 tools utilized in the outdoor industry to name, normalize and mitigate depletion and traumatic stress as it occurs. This course will review new innovations and established tools for organizations to identify organizational stress, impact, empower staff to support individual recognition and mitigation of stress, and equip staff and leadership to respond to major incident and internal stressors frequently occuring in the outdoor industry. This course contains an overview of tools for newcomers to the stress injury conversation in the outdoors, or those looking to deepen their understanding or apply the tools to their own organizations or staff trainings.
Speakers
avatar for Amber Barnett

Amber Barnett

Director of Program and Safety, Colorado Outward Bound
Amber is the Program and Safety Director at the Colorado Outward Bound School and has been working for national and international OB schools since 2006, including a long stint with Outward Bound Australia as an Instructor, Trainer, and Training Manager. For the last eight years she... Read More →

Wednesday October 19, 2022 08:00 - 17:00 EDT
Valcour Room - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Pre-Conference

12:00 EDT

Pre - Conference Check In
Registration Table
Wednesday October 19, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Foyer Double Tree by Hilton Vermont, Burlington
  Pre-Conference

13:00 EDT

Full Pre-Conference Building a Risk Management Information System (RMIS): A Deep Dive into analyzing Contributing Factors and Mitigating Factors through Incident Database Tracking and Business Analytics Tools
This course is Full - please do not add to your schedule.

Implementing a Systems Thinking risk management approach requires a comprehensive incident data collection methodology. Good data provides trend analysis to identify the contributing factors and mitigating factors that lead to actionable insights for prevention. Learn to integrate Safety I and Safety II methodologies through case study analyses and hands-on practice with on-line incident data. Learn how to use business analytics tools to build interactive accident analyses charts and graphs and graphical accident causation models.
Speakers
avatar for Rick Curtis

Rick Curtis

Founder and CEO, IncidentAnalytix.com & OutdoorEd.com
Rick Curtis has served as Director of the Outdoor Action Program at Princeton University for the past 40 years. He is the author of The Backpacker's Field Manual, the founder of OutdoorEd.com, one of the premiere web resources for outdoor educators, and the principal architect of... Read More →

Wednesday October 19, 2022 13:00 - 17:00 EDT
Shelburne Room - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Pre-Conference

13:00 EDT

Pre-Conference "And the Winner Is...(?) Hot Issues, Hot Cases""
Pre-Conference - Additional cost $175
In this interactive session, Cathy and Reb will ask attendees to consider several 2021-22 court opinions addressing significant industry legal issues. Participants will consider - and attack or defend - conflicting arguments pertaining to, for example: the legal duty of care owed to participants, including minors, and factors that can create, change or eliminate that duty; inherent risks and assumption of risks; contracts, including releases; the impact of standards, practices or laws, and other issues.
Speakers
avatar for Catherine (Cathy) Hansen-Stamp

Catherine (Cathy) Hansen-Stamp

Attorney Of Counsel, Crestpoint Law
Catherine Hansen-Stamp is an attorney in Golden, Colorado, recently affiliating to serve Of Counsel with CrestPoint Law.  Cathy just completed two terms serving as a member of the WRMC Steering Committee, stepping down in 2021.  She advises recreation and adventure providers on... Read More →

Wednesday October 19, 2022 13:00 - 17:00 EDT
Providence Boardroom Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Pre-Conference

16:00 EDT

First Time Attendee Orientation - No pre-registration required - Free
New to the WRMC? Feeling overwhelmed or just unsure how to interpret workshop descriptions? Or maybe you are just curious about how to make the most of your time at the conference? You’re not alone! Want to meet a few folks who can help show you around and be a friendly face? Join members of the WRMC Steering Committee for an orientation. We’ll break into small groups, go over the schedule and event options, offer tips, help you identify workshops that will help you meet your goals, and answer any other questions. You’ll also have the chance to meet other attendees and make connections before the opening reception. We hope to see you there!
Wednesday October 19, 2022 16:00 - 17:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Theater Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Pre-Conference

17:00 EDT

Conference Check In - Exhibitor Reception
Conference Check In 5:00-6:00 pm Eastern.
After checking in head to the Expo and to meet with exhibitors, sponsors, Steering Committee members and catch up with friends and colleagues.
Expo, cash bar, and poster sessions from 5:00-6:30 pm.


Wednesday October 19, 2022 17:00 - 18:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Foyer Double Tree by Hilton Vermont, Burlington
  General Session

17:00 EDT

Poster Session #1 All Posters
Posters are on display for the duration of the conference. Presenters will have sessions for interacting with attendees. This is session #1
Poster Topics:
Poster #1: Cultivating a Strong Safety Culture in Your Organization With a Culture Safe Survey Cultivating a good workplace safety and health (WSH) culture goes beyond general safety infrastructure, competencies, and legal requirements. How can you gain insight on your organization and employees’ mindsets towards safety and evaluate your safety beliefs, values, and practices? Findings from a safety culture survey will allow organizations to leverage on strengths and close safety gaps by implementing intervention strategies to transform safety mindsets and behaviors, and improve compliance and safety performance. Presenters - Ms. Elaida Gacad, Mr. Khee Meng Loh

Poster #2: Developing safety competence among arctic guides in Iceland, Svalbard and Greenland-  With limited research on tourist safety in the Arctic, the research contributes to the field of safety, tourism, and education by giving an overview on safety education among guides in Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland. The studies reveal features of arctic guiding program curriculums, yet, give a unique insight into program facilitations across the Arctic region. The purpose of the study is to critically evaluate programs content and teaching methods in developing safety competence among future adventure guides working in the Arctic. Presenter - Barbara Olga Horyn

Poster #3: The impact of social affiliations post-accident: relationships that help and hinder - This presentation will report the findings from a study that explored how individuals injured in a wilderness accident, on scene or part of the rescue/response, or impacted by the misfortune of a friend or family members' involvement in an accident coped. Multiple social memberships and affiliations either become a source of support or hinder the recovery process in light of a tragedy. This presentation will explore these realities, identify themes, and present recommendations. Presenter - Kelli McMahan

Poster #4: Medical Screening for Wilderness Courses - Being in the wilderness has inherent risks. While striving for maximum participation for a national outdoor program, there is a fine balance between what is acceptable and unacceptable risk thresholds. This will share how Outward Bound Singapore screens thousands of its annual participants for its outdoor adventure education program. Presenters - Jaffar Ali, Allen Goh 

Poster #5: “Level Up” Your Incident Review Process -An Incident Review process is a core element of any organization’s risk management plan. At it’s best, Incident Review is a powerful tool for improving safety and learning from past experiences; at its worst, Incident Review is a tedious task that yields few new insights. In this presentation, we’ll examine best practices for incorporating in-depth case studies of select incidents into your existing Incident Review process, with an eye towards generating tangible, meaningful improvements.
Risk Management: Using Reflection as an Emotional Check-In Presenters - Nate Greason, Annie Duryea

Poster #6: ISO 21101 Adventure Tourism Safety and You - What is ISO 21101, the international standard for Adventure Tourism Safety Management Systems? And why should I care? This standard is being rapidly adopted around the world as a best practice. From New Zealand to India and Switzerland, governments are considering requiring certain outdoor and wilderness programs to conform. We’ll examine the standard, its strengths and potential weaknesses. Participants will understand how the standard can benefit their wilderness or adventure program. Presenters - Jeff Baierlein 

Poster #7: Risk Management: Using Reflection as an Emotional Check-In
This presentation focuses on the use of written reflection early in an outdoor adventure/wilderness trip as a risk assessment tool to assess three important emotional issues (fears, feelings, fun) among participants. Review of reflections can provide a vehicle for leaders to address emotions, reduce/resolve fears, and build cohesion using active listening and open-ended questions. These tools reduce the likelihood that leaders will be blindsided by unexpected safety and behavioral concerns, while enhancing safety and rapport. Presenters - Alexander Rhue
Speakers
JA

Jaffar Ali Mohamed Ismail

Outdoor Nurse Practitioner, Outward Bound Singapore
Jaffar is a Registered Nurse in Singapore with experience in Anaesthesia (Major OT), Intensive Care Unit, Aero-Medical and Land Evacuations and Outdoor Sports. He is currently working as an Outdoor Nurse Practitioner in OBS and has a keen interest in Sports Medicine
BO

Barbara Olga Horyn

PHD Student, University of Iceland
Enhancing tourist safety Ph.D. student from the University of Iceland. With the experience of working as an outdoor education in the USA, Asia and Europe, and guiding groups of guests both on land and water in Iceland, Svalbard, Greenland and Antarctica, I started my phd to explore... Read More →
KM

Khee Meng Loh

Assistant Director(Operations Management), Outward Bound Singapore (National Youth Council, Singapore)
Khee Meng is a Master Instructor and Assistant Director in the OBS Operations Management team. In his 15 years with OBS, he has been a Team Manager, taking care of a team of Instructors in the quality and safety of their program conduct, and Training Consultant, designing programs... Read More →
avatar for Annie Duryea

Annie Duryea

Director of Trip Planning, Overland
Annie is a member of the Logistics Team, as well as the Risk Management Team, at Overland. Part of this work includes is being responsible for designing safe, fun, and worthwhile experiences for students of all ages. The Risk Management Team is thrilled to be attending and presenting... Read More →
avatar for Luke Costley

Luke Costley

Assistant Director of Admissions, Overland Summers
Luke Costleyhe/himLuke is a member of the year-round team at Overland Summers. As a college student, he led trips for Overland during their summer seasons, leading hiking trips in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone region, and then leading bike tours, from Seattle to San Francisco, and... Read More →
avatar for Alex Rhue

Alex Rhue

Doctoral Student/Regional Director, Ohio University/Adventure Treks
Alex has earned B.S. degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Outdoor Education, her M.S. in Recreation Studies, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Higher Education at Ohio University. She has worked in the outdoor industry as an educator and instructor for the last decade in the Pacific... Read More →
EG

Elaida Gacad

Manager Safety & Quality Audit, Outward Bound Singapore NYC
Elaida Gacad has been an occupational health and safety professional for 5 years and is working with Outward Bound Singapore (OBS). She works with a team that researches, plans, strategizes, develops, and recommends safety management policies, procedures and practices in a governance... Read More →
KM

Kelli McMahan

Associate Clinical Professor, Baylor University
Kelli McMahan is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance & Recreation at Baylor University.  She teaches concentration classes in outdoor recreation and coordinates the outdoor leadership emphasis area.  Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. McMahan... Read More →
AG

Allen Goh

Senior Manager (Partnership Management), Outward Bound Singapore
A Senior Manager with Outward Bound Singapore, Allen currently manages the enrollment process that is part of the Singapore’s national initiative to enroll some 40,000 youths annually into the OBS program.  He drives the process review from physical registration management to integrate... Read More →
NG

Nate Greason

Assistant Director of Trip Planning and Risk Management, Overland Summers
Nate has led outdoor programs for students in the Canadian Rockies, Montana, and across Europe. Now, as a member of Overland's year round staff, and co-leader of Overland's Risk Management team, Nate works to design safe an effective programs, and to continuously improve Overland's... Read More →
avatar for Jeff Baierlein

Jeff Baierlein

Director, Viristar
Jeff Baierlein has been leading outdoor program risk management trainings since 1997. He served as Executive Director of the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center and the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education, and has led multiple wilderness expeditions. Jeff is an AEE... Read More →

Wednesday October 19, 2022 17:00 - 18:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Poster Session

18:30 EDT

Opening Session - Welcome and Presentation of the Reb Gregg Award
Steering Committee Member Chair Mike Pigg opening remarks to WRMC! Presentation of this years winner, Catherine Hansen-Stamp, Esq. will receive the Charles (Reb) Gregg Wilderness Risk Management Award for significant contributions to the field of risk management in outdoor education and adventure professions.

Wednesday October 19, 2022 18:30 - 19:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Theater Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  General Session
 
Thursday, October 20
 

07:00 EDT

Conference Check In
Registration Table 
Thursday October 20, 2022 07:00 - 08:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Foyer Double Tree by Hilton Vermont, Burlington
  General Session

07:30 EDT

Meal Plan Breakfast
Meal Plan Participants. Bring your ticket for breakfast and lunch if you have purchased the meal plan.
Thursday October 20, 2022 07:30 - 08:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Meal Plan

08:30 EDT

Crisis Management: A Preplan in Action
Responding to a crisis, such as a participant fatality, presents a complex situation that demands a thoughtful and reasoned response. This workshop will provide attendees with an overview of the five elements of successful crisis management, begin to delve into the complexities of responding to crisis situations through the presenter's personal and professional experience while providing a forum for exchanging ideas and sharing experiences of the audience. Additionally this workshop will provide a starting point for creating a crisis management plan.
Speakers
avatar for Drew Leemon

Drew Leemon

Risk Management Director, NOLS
Drew Leemon, director of risk management at NOLS, began his career in outdoor education in 1979 and has held his current position since 1996. He is a past chair of the Wilderness Risk Managers Committee and is on the Steering Committee for the Wilderness Risk Management Conference... Read More →
KB

Katie Baum Mettenbrink

Associate Operations Director, NOLS
I have presented at the WRMC since 2012, and at numerous NOLS faculty conferences. I teach risk management and leadership in a classroom setting for NOLS (in addition to expedition field work). I have been actively involved in developing curriculum and training for NOLS programs and... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response, CORE

08:30 EDT

A Systemic Approach to Heat Injury Management
Heat injury can occur any time in any outdoor activity. If left unchecked, heat injuries can escalate quickly and result in emergencies. How can we be prepared to prevent and respond to them? Look at how one organisation learnt from a heat injury near miss and adopted a systemic approach to heat injury management.
Speakers
JQ

James Quah

Assistant Director, Medical Services & Training, Outward Bound Singapore NYC
James is a Registered Nurse in Singapore, with experience in critical care, emergency, neurology, military, flight and motor sports medicine. He is currently the Chairperson of the Critical Care Nurses Chapter in Singapore and has a keen interest in Austere Medicine.
LT

Lydia Tang

Senior Manager, Operational Safety Management, Outward Bound Singapore
Lydia has been a staff of Outward Bound Singapore for 6 years. Progressing from an instructor to the position of a Senior Manager in the Operational Safety Management Unit, she has a fair share of experience in conducting outdoor adventure learning programs as well as managing policies... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Field Practices

08:30 EDT

How to Care Less
This workshop looks at impermanence and how it relates to being an educator or administrator for a school or outdoor program. Experiential and outdoor educators are passionate, loving, and caring people. That includes YOU. Your caring provides incredible programming and builds lasting connections, AND... sometimes caring too much can negatively effective you and your group. Sometimes you need to care less. This workshop give you some tools to do just that.
Speakers
avatar for Paul Dreyer

Paul Dreyer

CEO, Avid4 Adventure
Paul Dreyer, a self-proclaimed "mercenary educator," has had the opportunity to work with numerous organizations, including NOLS, Where There Be Dragons, High Mountain Institute, and the Watershed School. Paul has worked throughout the world as a facilitator, curriculum designer... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Mental/Social/Emotional Health

08:30 EDT

Progress not Perfection: Integrating DEI into your Risk Management Plan
Taylor Feldman of Experiential Consulting, and Wendell Britt, “Mastering the Game of Allyship”, will help you to WAKE UP to the emergent issues at the intersection of Outdoor Risk Management and Diversity and Inclusion, CLEAN UP the cultural shadows getting in the way of being effective in these domains, provide a framework of relevant values and skills to GROW UP in effectiveness so you can SHOW UP effectively to your users.
Speakers
avatar for Taylor Feldman

Taylor Feldman

Associate Consultant, Experiential Consulting
Taylor Feldman is an Associate Consultant with Experiential Consulting who is passionate about risk-aware adventuring, mountaineering, foraging, dancing, fermenting, and forest-bathing. Based in Portland, OR, she has a decade-long career as a wilderness instructor and has led teams... Read More →
WB

Wendell Britt

Founder, Integral Emergence
Wendell Britt Jr. is a life coach, dungeon master, writer and storyteller and game designer with a passion for mixing the best of psychological technologies, developmental psychology and roleplaying games to help people break through patterns of stuckness and create a life they want... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Program Administration, CORE

08:30 EDT

Managing Risk with Productive Learning Environments: What We Can Learn from Marketing Executives and Classroom Teachers
When you only have a few days in the field with students, it’s crucial to establish an inclusive learning environment to deliver material and manage risk effectively. This presentation will cover best practices for creating effective, inclusive lesson plans that meet learners’ needs and contribute to better risk management throughout a program. Participants will finish the session with a template and concrete strategies for building productive learning environments in the classroom and the field.
Speakers
avatar for Liz Riggs Meder

Liz Riggs Meder

Director - Recreation Programs, AIARE
Liz is based in Seattle and is responsible for the development and delivery of AIARE’s Recreational Education programs, which includes curriculum development, managing the instructor training program, and overall program delivery and evaluation. Liz is an AIARE Instructor, occasionally... Read More →
avatar for Emma Walker

Emma Walker

Curriculum Manager, AIARE
Emma Walker brings a decade of outdoor education experience to her AIARE Curriculum Manager role and holds a master’s degree in outdoor and environmental education from Alaska Pacific University, where she completed her thesis research on decision-making dynamics among Denali guides... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Staff Training & Decision Making

10:00 EDT

Exhibitor Showcase and Coffee Break - All Attendees
All Conference Attendees Coffee Break in the Expo. Get to know the exhibitors and find resources for products and services your program needs.
Thursday October 20, 2022 10:00 - 10:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Expo & Break

10:30 EDT

A Case Study in Child Protection & Aftermath Lessons of Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Come learn from a case study involving a sexual misconduct allegation and how a series of events can rapidly put your organization in a critical situation. The lessons learned from this case study will help prepare your own organization for conscientious cross gender interactions, creating respectful relationships with minors and what to do if those boundaries are broken, minors are made to feel uncomfortable, and allegations are filed.
Speakers
avatar for Peter Mayfield

Peter Mayfield

Executive Director, Gateway Mountain Center
Peter Mayfield - Founder and Executive Director of Gateway Mountain Center, a youth development organization. For over 40 years, he has traversed a trajectory from world-class climber to Chief Guide of the Yosemite Mountaineering School to founder of CityRock – the first full service... Read More →
CF

Cali Fraser

Chief Guide & South Shore Program Planner, Gateway Mountain Center
Cali Fraser has spent years practicing wilderness medicine in the Sierra Nevada and abroad as a Wilderness EMT. She is passionate about training people to engage in thoughtful decision making with a safety minded approach to wilderness adventure. Cali is the Chief Guide at Gateway... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response, CORE

10:30 EDT

Trauma-sensitive care in the field
The primary focus of this experiential, skills-based workshop is to discuss and notice our nervous system and to practice ways to protect and restore it’s natural balance.
Using trauma-informed and resiliency-focused methods, we will discuss the everyday impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system, how resiliency can be restored or increased, and how this impacts risk management in the field for both facilitators and guides, as well as participants.
Speakers
avatar for Misty Blakesley

Misty Blakesley

Emergence and Therapeutic Adventure Program Manager, The Mountain Center
Misty Blakesley works at the Mountain Center in Tewa Territories with Native American communities, survivors of violence, folks in recovery, people in the juvenile justice system and others. She encourages healing and growth through connection with the natural world. She is a mentor... Read More →
CS

Christian Sommer

Therapeutic Adventure Program Manager, The Mountain Center
Christian is from Santa Fe, NM, and began working at the Mountain Center in 2013, after a several year stint living in Brooklyn wondering why people live in cities. He has a lifelong background in wandering around in the desert and in the mountains, and enjoys producing music and... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Field Practices

10:30 EDT

Legal Issues 101: The Basics You Need to Know
You know a lot about operating your program. How much do you know about the legal issues? This presentation provides an overview of the basics: what to tell participants when collecting medical information, what you shouldn’t say in your marketing materials, what to do with releases after you collect them, the primary legal issues to address immediately after a serious incident, what indemnity is and why you should care, what discoverability is, and other topics.
Speakers
avatar for Frances Mock

Frances Mock

Attorney, Frances Turner Mock, Esq.
Frances Mock is an attorney specializing in risk management and claims management for wilderness and experiential education programs. She is counsel to NOLS, Outward Bound, SCA, LL Bean’s Outdoor Discovery School, and other clients providing advice about enrollment materials, medical... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Legal and Insurance, CORE

10:30 EDT

Exclusive Spaces: Managing Inherent Risks of Racism in Outdoor Spaces
With 20 years of experience traveling in predominantly white outdoor spaces as People of Color, City Kids continues to develop a holistic approach to reducing the risk of emotional or physical harm to participants and staff through program design, staff training, incident mitigation and response. This presentation aims to provide a framework and replicable tools for other organizations.
Speakers
avatar for Meena Fernald

Meena Fernald

Associate Director of Programs, City Kids Wilderness Project
Meena Fernald is the Associate Program Director for City Kids Wilderness Project, serving as a program leader in program management, staff training, risk management, and curriculum development. She has been with City Kids since 2016 in a variety of roles. Meena has been working with... Read More →
avatar for Colleen McHugh

Colleen McHugh

Director of Programs, City Kids
Colleen McHugh is the Director of Programs for City Kids Wilderness Project, serving as an organizational leader in program management, staff training, risk management, and curriculum development. They have been with City Kids since 2009 in a variety of roles. Colleen began their... Read More →
AS

Arii Sylvers

Program Associate, City Kids
Arii Sylvers is originally from Tucson, AZ and current serves as Program Associate for City Kids Wilderness Project in Washington, DC. While minoring in secondary education at Howard University, she identified a passion for youth development that lead her to connect with City Kids... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Mental/Social/Emotional Health, CORE

10:30 EDT

Applying lessons learned from Commonly Misunderstood or Unmet AEE Accreditation Standards to your Organization
In this workshop participants will review commonly unmet or misunderstood AEE accreditation standards in the areas of program oversight/management of activities, human resources, transportation, equipment/nutrition/hygiene, and activity specific standards and use these trends to improve the organizations they work in.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Pace

Steve Pace

Director of Standards Development and Accreditation, Association for Experiential Education
Steve Pace has served as the Director of Accreditations and Certifications at the Association for Experiential Education since 2016. He is also Professor Emeritus and former Dean at Prescott College. Steve is a member of the Wilderness Risk Manger’s Conference Steering Committee... Read More →
DD

Dr. Dana Maureen (Maurie) Lung

CEO, Life Adventures Counseling & Consulting
D. Maurie Lung, PhD., LMHC, LMFT, integrates 30 years of experience in recreation, education, psychology, and evaluation. She is the CEO of Life Adventures Counseling and Director of Prescott College’s Adventure-based/Nature-based Counseling. Additionally, she has served on program... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Program Administration

12:00 EDT

Lunch Break
Lunch break for all attendees. Expo Open.
Thursday October 20, 2022 12:00 - 13:30 EDT
TBA
  Expo & Break

12:00 EDT

Meal Plan Lunch
Meal Plan Participants. Bring your ticket for breakfast and lunch if you have purchased the meal plan.
Thursday October 20, 2022 12:00 - 13:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Meal Plan

13:30 EDT

Crisis Management: Emotional Support for Participants, Staff, and Families
Reflecting your organization's value and concern during a crisis and in the aftermath is a key to serving affected participants, staff, and their families, who are struggling to cope. Learn how to create a response that will directly aid affected staff and participants in and out of the field and work with families as they cope with uncertainty. This workshop will provide attendees with practical experience and guidelines to support staff in the field, train family liaisons, and how to define organizational norms that will support participants, staff, and families during and after an incident.
Speakers
avatar for Suellen Sack

Suellen Sack

Need Updated Bio

Thursday October 20, 2022 13:30 - 14:30 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response

13:30 EDT

Wilderness Medicine Update
Like all evidence-driven disciplines, wilderness medicine continues to rapidly evolve. This fast-paced session will update participants on the most recent advances in field medical care, including a review of the new 2022 Wilderness Medical Society anaphylaxis guidelines; a review of the initiation of the first-ever US Forest Service EMS project and its implications for risk management; a discussion of ways medical anthropology and public health evolutions are influencing JEDI decision-making in wilderness medicine; and more.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins

Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins

Medical Advisor, North Carolina Outward Bound School, SCA, REI
Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins, a physician board certified in both emergency medicine and EMS and a Master Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, is a frequent WRMC lecturer. He is REI, SCA, and NC Outward Bound School’s medical advisor and Wilderness Medicine Magazine’s executive... Read More →
CS

Calder Staben

Wilderness Medicine Fellow, Wake Forest University Wilderness Medicine Fellowship
Dr. Calder Staben is a board certified emergency physician currently completing his Wilderness Medicine Fellowship at Wake Forest University and his Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. He is a medical advisor for the SCA and the current assistant medical director for... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 13:30 - 14:30 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Field Practices

13:30 EDT

Stress Injury Mitigation: How to Set Up A Peer Support Network
We know that stress injuries don’t happen necessarily from a single traumatic event: it can be a cumulative injury leading to burnout. This session will look at two models of Peer Support Networks aimed at mitigating stress injury formation: Paramedic Critical Incident Stress Program / Ears to Peers: wilderness therapy network. This session will go in detail on how to set one up in your organization including how to train your volunteers and recruit participants.
Speakers
avatar for Rumi Kodama

Rumi Kodama

Paramedic/Wilderness Therapy Guide, Unaffiliated
Rumi is a paramedic in Vancouver, BC with roots in the outdoor/wilderness therapy industry in numerous roles for over 20 years from YMCA to BC Conservation Corps to NOLS and Outward Bound Canada and Alaska Crossings. Risk is inherent in everything we do and the power of bringing practices... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 13:30 - 14:30 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Mental/Social/Emotional Health

13:30 EDT

Duty of Care: Re-evaluating Our Core Responsibilities and Creating Future Opportunities
As a result of the pandemic, organizational Duty of Care has evolved and status-quo is no longer acceptable to stakeholders. In this session, we’ll highlight four opportunities that emerged from our industry’s shared challenges that can create growth opportunities and improve risk management systems throughout travel programs. This educational session aims to create dialogue and challenge traditional methodologies to improve staff training, client engagement, and industry collaboration.
Speakers
avatar for Dave Dennis

Dave Dennis

Executive Director | RM & EM Specialist, Cornerstone Safety Group
Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, an all-inclusive risk management, medical, and mental health services company for the travel and experiential education industries. With a master’s degree in risk management and 27 years of experience in tour... Read More →
avatar for Doug Stevens

Doug Stevens

Attorney, Caplan & Earnest LLC
Doug Stevens is a Boulder, Colorado attorney who has provided legal services to outdoor recreation and adventure travel organizations for many years. He has defended serious and high-profile personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Doug frequently assists clients with all facets... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 13:30 - 14:30 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Program Administration

13:30 EDT

Performing Under Pressure: Using Brain Science to Improve Performance
This session explores the inner workings of the brain, specifically in regard to how the brain functions--or doesn't function--under highly pressurized situations. By using research and case studies from a variety of disciplines--such as aviation, medicine, military, and the outdoors--this workshop will help participants learn what often happens when people find themselves in the middle of a worst-case-scenario.

Research repeatedly has shown that the brain has limited capacity under duress, and because no brain multitasks well in an emergency, organizations should recognize that stressed employees often make myriad field errors. This workshop provides not only useful information to limit surprises in emergencies, but it offers ideas and techniques to help individuals who are in highly pressurized situations calm down. Further, this workshop offers ideas for improving staff trainings and organizational expectations so that employees will perform as well as possible if that worst-case day ever arrives.
Speakers
DA

Deb Ajango

Owner/Director, SafetyEd
Deb Ajango has written two books on safety-related topics and has presented nationally and internationally on risk management, emergency action planning, and wilderness medicine. She received WRMC's Charles (Reb) Gregg Award in 2012, and in 2014, she was awarded the Paul K. Petzoldt... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 13:30 - 14:30 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Staff Training & Decision Making, CORE

14:30 EDT

Exhibitor Showcase and Afternoon Break - All Attendees
All Conference Attendees Afternoon Snack Break in the Expo
Thursday October 20, 2022 14:30 - 15:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Expo & Break

15:00 EDT

How to communicate bad news without freaking out your lawyer
Communicating after a bad event – with family members, your staff, your stakeholders and the general public – is essential. You need to assist those impacted and manage the story in conventional and social media. Done properly, you can get the bad news over with quickly. Done poorly, however, you’ll anger survivors, their families and the public – setting yourself up for costly litigation and poor reputation. This session will help you understand how to do things correctly.
Speakers
SK

Skip King

President, Reputation Strategies, LLC
Skip King has 30 years of public relations, crisis management, media training and marketing communications experience. As a former chief communications officer for an NYSE-listed company, he created and executed external and internal communications supporting explosive growth and... Read More →
avatar for Leah Corrigan

Leah Corrigan

Managing Attorney, Recreation Law Group
Leah Corrigan is the Managing Attorney of Recreation Law Group, a legal and riskmanagement firm that advises and defends a wide variety of outdoor recreation businesses.Leah is an experienced litigator who has represented outdoor industry clients in seriouspersonal injury matters... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 15:00 - 16:30 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response, CORE

15:00 EDT

Challenges in Managing and Defending Employment Discrimination Claims in the Time of Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Since the Civil Rights Act of 1963, employees have been able to recover damages for unlawful discrimination. Since the murder of George Floyd, employers have sharpened their work and efforts around strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work-place. This work, important and long overdue, has complicated discrimination claims against employers. This presentation will highlight these complexities and how they are impacting discrimination claims and the handling of those claim, both internally and externally.
Speakers
LZ

Lach Zemp

Risk Management Officer, Outward Bound USA
Lach (pronounced "Lash") Zemp serves as the Risk Management Officer at Outward Bound, overseeing a range of risk management issues and claims for the Outward Bound Schools. Prior to joining Outward Bound, Lach practiced law for 30 years defending clients, including summer camps and... Read More →
JV

Joe Vossen

Senior Resolutions Council, United Educators
Joe Vossen is senior claims counsel at United Educators, a member-owned risk retention group and the preeminent provider of insurance and risk management to educational institutions. He attended Kansas State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before coming... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 15:00 - 16:30 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Legal and Insurance

15:00 EDT

Poster Session #2 All Posters
Posters are on display for the duration of the conference. Presenters will have sessions for interacting with attendees. This is session #2
Poster Topics:
Poster #1: Cultivating a Strong Safety Culture in Your Organization With a Culture Safe Survey Cultivating a good workplace safety and health (WSH) culture goes beyond general safety infrastructure, competencies, and legal requirements. How can you gain insight on your organization and employees’ mindsets towards safety and evaluate your safety beliefs, values, and practices? Findings from a safety culture survey will allow organizations to leverage on strengths and close safety gaps by implementing intervention strategies to transform safety mindsets and behaviors, and improve compliance and safety performance.
Poster #2: Developing safety competence among arctic guides in Iceland, Svalbard and Greenland-  With limited research on tourist safety in the Arctic, the research contributes to the field of safety, tourism, and education by giving an overview on safety education among guides in Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland. The studies reveal features of arctic guiding program curriculums, yet, give a unique insight into program facilitations across the Arctic region. The purpose of the study is to critically evaluate programs content and teaching methods in developing safety competence among future adventure guides working in the Arctic.
Poster #3: The impact of social affiliations post-accident: relationships that help and hinder - This presentation will report the findings from a study that explored how individuals injured in a wilderness accident, on scene or part of the rescue/response, or impacted by the misfortune of a friend or family members' involvement in an accident coped. Multiple social memberships and affiliations either become a source of support or hinder the recovery process in light of a tragedy. This presentation will explore these realities, identify themes, and present recommendations.
Poster #4: Medical Screening for Wilderness Courses - Being in the wilderness has inherent risks. While striving for maximum participation for a national outdoor program, there is a fine balance between what is acceptable and unacceptable risk thresholds. This will share how Outward Bound Singapore screens thousands of its annual participants for its outdoor adventure education program.
Poster #5: “Level Up” Your Incident Review Process -An Incident Review process is a core element of any organization’s risk management plan. At it’s best, Incident Review is a powerful tool for improving safety and learning from past experiences; at its worst, Incident Review is a tedious task that yields few new insights. In this presentation, we’ll examine best practices for incorporating in-depth case studies of select incidents into your existing Incident Review process, with an eye towards generating tangible, meaningful improvements.
Risk Management: Using Reflection as an Emotional Check-In
Poster #6: ISO 21101 Adventure Tourism Safety and You - What is ISO 21101, the international standard for Adventure Tourism Safety Management Systems? And why should I care? This standard is being rapidly adopted around the world as a best practice. From New Zealand to India and Switzerland, governments are considering requiring certain outdoor and wilderness programs to conform. We’ll examine the standard, its strengths and potential weaknesses. Participants will understand how the standard can benefit their wilderness or adventure program.
Poster #7: Risk Management: Using Reflection as an Emotional Check-In
This presentation focuses on the use of written reflection early in an outdoor adventure/wilderness trip as a risk assessment tool to assess three important emotional issues (fears, feelings, fun) among participants. Review of reflections can provide a vehicle for leaders to address emotions, reduce/resolve fears, and build cohesion using active listening and open-ended questions. These tools reduce the likelihood that leaders will be blindsided by unexpected safety and behavioral concerns, while enhancing safety and rapport.
Speakers
JA

Jaffar Ali Mohamed Ismail

Outdoor Nurse Practitioner, Outward Bound Singapore
Jaffar is a Registered Nurse in Singapore with experience in Anaesthesia (Major OT), Intensive Care Unit, Aero-Medical and Land Evacuations and Outdoor Sports. He is currently working as an Outdoor Nurse Practitioner in OBS and has a keen interest in Sports Medicine
BO

Barbara Olga Horyn

PHD Student, University of Iceland
Enhancing tourist safety Ph.D. student from the University of Iceland. With the experience of working as an outdoor education in the USA, Asia and Europe, and guiding groups of guests both on land and water in Iceland, Svalbard, Greenland and Antarctica, I started my phd to explore... Read More →
KM

Khee Meng Loh

Assistant Director(Operations Management), Outward Bound Singapore (National Youth Council, Singapore)
Khee Meng is a Master Instructor and Assistant Director in the OBS Operations Management team. In his 15 years with OBS, he has been a Team Manager, taking care of a team of Instructors in the quality and safety of their program conduct, and Training Consultant, designing programs... Read More →
avatar for Annie Duryea

Annie Duryea

Director of Trip Planning, Overland
Annie is a member of the Logistics Team, as well as the Risk Management Team, at Overland. Part of this work includes is being responsible for designing safe, fun, and worthwhile experiences for students of all ages. The Risk Management Team is thrilled to be attending and presenting... Read More →
avatar for Luke Costley

Luke Costley

Assistant Director of Admissions, Overland Summers
Luke Costleyhe/himLuke is a member of the year-round team at Overland Summers. As a college student, he led trips for Overland during their summer seasons, leading hiking trips in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone region, and then leading bike tours, from Seattle to San Francisco, and... Read More →
avatar for Alex Rhue

Alex Rhue

Doctoral Student/Regional Director, Ohio University/Adventure Treks
Alex has earned B.S. degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Outdoor Education, her M.S. in Recreation Studies, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Higher Education at Ohio University. She has worked in the outdoor industry as an educator and instructor for the last decade in the Pacific... Read More →
EG

Elaida Gacad

Manager Safety & Quality Audit, Outward Bound Singapore NYC
Elaida Gacad has been an occupational health and safety professional for 5 years and is working with Outward Bound Singapore (OBS). She works with a team that researches, plans, strategizes, develops, and recommends safety management policies, procedures and practices in a governance... Read More →
KM

Kelli McMahan

Associate Clinical Professor, Baylor University
Kelli McMahan is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance & Recreation at Baylor University.  She teaches concentration classes in outdoor recreation and coordinates the outdoor leadership emphasis area.  Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. McMahan... Read More →
AG

Allen Goh

Senior Manager (Partnership Management), Outward Bound Singapore
A Senior Manager with Outward Bound Singapore, Allen currently manages the enrollment process that is part of the Singapore’s national initiative to enroll some 40,000 youths annually into the OBS program.  He drives the process review from physical registration management to integrate... Read More →
NG

Nate Greason

Assistant Director of Trip Planning and Risk Management, Overland Summers
Nate has led outdoor programs for students in the Canadian Rockies, Montana, and across Europe. Now, as a member of Overland's year round staff, and co-leader of Overland's Risk Management team, Nate works to design safe an effective programs, and to continuously improve Overland's... Read More →
avatar for Jeff Baierlein

Jeff Baierlein

Director, Viristar
Jeff Baierlein has been leading outdoor program risk management trainings since 1997. He served as Executive Director of the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center and the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education, and has led multiple wilderness expeditions. Jeff is an AEE... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 15:00 - 16:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Poster Session

15:00 EDT

Is Safety Really Your "Top Priority?" Clarifying Organizational Risk Tolerance
It's easy for a program to say "Safety is Our Top Priority!" ... but safety means different things to different people. If you are not explicit about your program's actual risk tolerance, you can end up over-promising safety in ways that enlarge your liability, or create inconsistencies from one activity to the next. This interactive workshop will help you understand the benefits of crafting a risk statement for your organization, and learn from examples by other programs. Participants will leave with some clear action steps to bring the learning home to their organization.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Risk Management Consultant, Experiential Consulting, LLC
Steve Smith (he/him/his) is the founder of Experiential Consulting, LLC, specializing in risk management for outdoor programs and the lead author/editor of Beneficial Risks: The Evolution of Risk Management for Outdoor and Experiential Education Programs. After taking a NOLS course... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 15:00 - 16:30 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Program Administration

15:00 EDT

Short Talk Series: 1. WM SOP, 2. Shared-Identity/LGBTQ+, 3.Psychotropic Meds, 4. Support vs. Coddling Push/Pull
Includes four short 18-minute Ted-Talk style programs.

1. Wilderness Medicine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): This session will provide an introduction to the Wilderness Medicine Scope of Practice documents (SOPs) and the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative (WMEC). We will discuss the context for the existing SOPs, how they apply in the outdoor recreation and education realm, and what's on the agenda for the WMEC. Presenters - Richard Gates, Abby Rowe, Nadia Kimmel 

2. By Us/For Us: Shared-Identity Spaces for LGBTQ+ Folks: Shared-identity spaces can be an effective and powerful tool for creating opportunities for folks from historically-marginalized backgrounds to connect with our mission, programs, and the outdoors. This workshop will focus on shared-identity spaces for LGBTQ+ folks, including: why we need shared-identity spaces, common barriers to participation in conservation and outdoor programs for LGBTQ+ folks, strategies for addressing these barriers, examples of successes and challenges, and an opportunity for workshop participants to plan next steps in creating more inclusive and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ people in their programs. Presenters - C. "rza" Allen 

3. Psychotropic medications: Physiological concerns with environmental and outdoor recreation stressors:According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 18.5% of Americans are currently suffering from a mental health disorder and prescribed psychotropic medications. Unlike many of the traumatic injuries and acute illnesses your wilderness medical training has prepared you for, you WILL encounter participants who are taking psychotropic medications. Significant deleterious effects from some of these medications in the context of prolonged exertion, heat, hyponatremia, and/or dehydration are possible. Presenters - Kaen (kl) Lapides

4. Support Versus Coddling: When to Push and When to Pull Back When Trying to Grow Our Staff: Mental & emotional health has been on the forefront of all of our minds. During COVID, even more so. While camp is for the camper, our staff are the ones interacting & supporting them daily. What do we do when our staff cannot hold it together? What tools do we give them to be mentally & emotionally stable so they can support our campers’ wellbeing? How do we balance providing services for our staff, while also needing them to do their job? Come prepared to learn & share together. Presenters - Anne Izard, Stephen Mead, Jace Besold 
Speakers
avatar for Kaen (kl) Lapides

Kaen (kl) Lapides

Paramedic, WildMed Etrier LLC
Kaen (kl) Lapides is a paramedic living and working in Breckenridge, CO. She teaches wilderness medicine for several different organizations, including military and paramedic special contracts and for the Thomas Jefferson Medical School BreckWild wilderness medicine elective. She... Read More →
JB

Jace Besold

Operations Director, Green River Preserve
Jace Besold serves as the Operations Director at Green River Preserve with his main role being to oversee the Expedition Program. He first came to GRP in 2013 to spend his summer as a camp counselor. As he learned all the GRP had to offer, he dedicated the following years to becoming... Read More →
avatar for Abby Rowe

Abby Rowe

President, Wilderness Medical Associates
Abby began her outdoor education career as an undergraduate instructor for Cornell Outdoor Education and has pursued that passion ever since. Abby has worked as a sea kayak instructor, course director, and United States Coast Guard licensed captain for Hurricane Island Outward Bound... Read More →
avatar for Nadia Kimmel

Nadia Kimmel

Executive Director, Desert Mountain Medicine
Nadia is the founder and Executive Director of Desert Mountain Medicine (DMM), established in Leadville, Colorado in 1998. She dedicates much of her time to the advancement of wilderness medicine education as a curriculum writer and instructor trainer for DMM. As a 12-year member... Read More →
avatar for Gates Richards

Gates Richards

WM Education Director, NOLS WMI
Gates Richards has been involved in outdoor education and EMS since the early '90s. Over the years he's worked outdoor programming throughout the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. He's worked urban EMS in DC, WA, CO, and WY. Gates began teaching for NOLS Wilderness Medicine... Read More →
AI

Anne Izard

Executive Director, Green River Preserve
Anne is the Executive Director of Green River Preserve, an environmental co-ed camp in Western NC focusing on connecting children with nature. At the end of the day, her job is to take care of everyone- all staff and campers. In her 20+ years of camp experience, she has learned many... Read More →
SM

Stephen Mead

Executive Director, Green River Preserve
Stephen and his wife Anne co-direct Green River Preserve, an environmental co-ed camp in Western NC focusing on connecting children with nature. During the operating season, Stephen lives by the phrase "what can I do, to calm the unforeseeable problems that will arise today". He has... Read More →
avatar for C.

C. "rza" Allen

Youth Trail Program Manager, Washington Trails Association
rza is a philosophical nature nerd working for liberation and multi-species kinship in the drippy northwest forests of the so-called United States. They are a community-builder and backcountry program manager with over 10 years of experience facilitating immersive learning spaces... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 15:00 - 16:30 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Short Talk Series

15:00 EDT

Breaking the Halo: Empowering Students in Outdoor Education
Breaking the Halo explores the deadly thinking errors that can occur outdoors and beyond, and offers a simple, universal approach to confronting complacency, assumptions, and communication breakdowns between subordinates and leaders. Breaking the Halo is inspired by previous works on heuristic traps by Edward Thorndike and Ian McCammon and speaks to a more global audience. This presentation was originally developed as a grassroots risk management tool for local mountaineers and has since become a highly requested and influential leadership program. Participants will learn to recognize halos, participate in small group discussion, and share empowerment tools for breaking future halos they encounter.
Speakers
KH

Katjarina Hurt

Director, Wilderness Chaplains
Katjarina Hurt (she/her/hers) is a Senior Consultant in Learning & Development for Plante Moran and the Founder and Director of the non-profit organization, Wilderness Chaplains. She has over fifteen years experience as a ski patroller, primarily at Snoqualmie Pass, WA, with a focus... Read More →

Thursday October 20, 2022 15:00 - 16:30 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Staff Training & Decision Making

16:45 EDT

Structured Networking
Join your peers for some engaging and informal conversations and hear how like organizations manage similar challenges. We will provide topics and facilitate the formation of small discussion groups. The goal is to provide a venue for participants to connect with others who experience similar challenges and share ideas to help attendees improve their programs. Find a list of this year's topics at the registration table.
Thursday October 20, 2022 16:45 - 18:15 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Theater Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Structured Networking
 
Friday, October 21
 

07:30 EDT

Meal Plan Breakfast
Meal Plan Participants. Bring your ticket for breakfast and lunch if you have purchased the meal plan.
Friday October 21, 2022 07:30 - 08:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Meal Plan

08:30 EDT

Are your leadership and Board prepared for a critical incident...or worse?
The importance of establishing clarity and transparency surrounding your organization's planned response to critical incidents well before a crisis occurs, cannot be understated. Leadership and Boards, and the perspectives, beliefs and values they bring have a crucial role in effective critical incident planning and management. This often overlooked aspect of crisis planning can present problems and conflicts if not addressed well prior to the incident itself.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Clare Dallat

Dr. Clare Dallat

Founder and Director, Risk Resolve
Dr. Clare Dallat is the founder and director of Risk Resolve, a service that provides educational and risk management services for schools, organisations, and government agencies across Australia, the United States, Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Clare has a Ph.D. in Engineering Psychology... Read More →
avatar for Stuart Slay

Stuart Slay

Senior Director of Risk and Safety Management, Student Conservation Association
Stuart serves as the Senior Director of Risk and Safety at the Student Conservation Association, where he also represents the SCA on the WRMC steering committee. Prior to serving with the SCA, Stuart directed Chadwick International School’s Outdoor Education Program in South Korea... Read More →
avatar for Mike Pigg

Mike Pigg

OBUSA Director of Risk and Safety, (WRMC Steering Committee Chair) Outward Bound USA
Mike Pigg has been involved in the experiential education industry for overnearly 20 years as an educator, trainer, and administrator. He has a long history with Outward Bound Australia where he served for several years as the Safety Director and then General Manager. In addition... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response

08:30 EDT

Valuable Tips for Handling Sexual Misconduct Claims from a Legal and Operational Perspective
Given the prevalence of sexual misconduct claims, it is imperative for organizations to understand the legal and operational challenges these incidents present. During this session, you’ll learn about proactive and reactive processes implemented from legal and program experts. Speakers will provide key tips for operators on employee screening and training, vendor vetting, insurance, company policy, mandatory reporting, and incident response. Note: this session examines a real-life case study to highlight key takeaways of presented material.
Speakers
avatar for Dave Dennis

Dave Dennis

Executive Director | RM & EM Specialist, Cornerstone Safety Group
Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, an all-inclusive risk management, medical, and mental health services company for the travel and experiential education industries. With a master’s degree in risk management and 27 years of experience in tour... Read More →
avatar for Doug Stevens

Doug Stevens

Attorney, Caplan & Earnest LLC
Doug Stevens is a Boulder, Colorado attorney who has provided legal services to outdoor recreation and adventure travel organizations for many years. He has defended serious and high-profile personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Doug frequently assists clients with all facets... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response

08:30 EDT

Are We There Yet? Re-Viewing the Risks to Mental, Social, and Emotional Wellbeing Through the Lens of History
"If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one goes to the unprotected — those who need the law's protection most — and listens to their testimony." Inspired by this truth from James Baldwin, ‘Are We There Yet’ explores how our American past has informed much of our current inequities in outdoor recreation. We'll examine legacies of oppression and the importance of reducing the risk of perpetuating harm – social, emotional, and otherwise.
Speakers
avatar for Kriste Peoples

Kriste Peoples

Program Director, Women's Wilderness, Women's Wilderness
As a leader in Colorado’s BIPOC outdoor community, Kriste explores ways to increase the representation of women and people of color in nature. She serves on the executive boards of Running Start, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women overcome obstacles to fitness, as well as the... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Mental/Social/Emotional Health

08:30 EDT

I Think You Should Leave: Managing Early Departures
Sometimes the best outcome is for a participant to go home before the program is over. Setting your program and its participants up for success means preparing to support both attendance and early departure. This presentation will look at strategies and tools to reduce unnecessary departures as well as identify and ease necessary departures.
Speakers
avatar for Alex Schwartz

Alex Schwartz

Safety and Training Director, North Carolina Outward Bound
Alex has been working with groups in the outdoors for 20 years, at summer camps, universities, and Outward Bound. As a life-long troublemaker Alex is unsure how he ended up in charge of avoiding trouble for a large and well-established outdoor organization.  Alex doesn't sleep on... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Program Administration

08:30 EDT

Identity-conscious leadership: It’s risk management
This session will consider the ways that an awareness of social identities can inform your risk management practices. Using Montana Conservation Corps’ principles of Identity Conscious Leadership, we will provide a conceptual framework and specific tools to create a safer environment for participants. Come prepared to engage in scenario-based training, identity development models, and action planning. Near the end, we will focus on race and gender specifically and then outline identity-affirming strategies for programmatic integration.
Speakers
avatar for Stacey Williams

Stacey Williams

Vice President of Programs, Montana Conservation Corps
Stacey Williams (she/her) brings over a decade of experience in leadership education and experiential programming. With a background in college student development, her approach to identity includes both critical and developmental perspectives. Her prior work includes facilitating... Read More →
OK

Olivia Klein

Central Divide Program Manager, Montana Conservation Corps
Olivia Klein (she/her) is currently the program manager for the Helena region of the Montana Conservation Corps. She is an enthusiastic learner and educator who received a Masters of Science in outdoor education from the University of Edinburgh. She is passionate about queer theory... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 08:30 - 10:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Program Administration

10:00 EDT

Exhibitor Showcase and Coffee Break - All Attendees
All Conference Attendees Coffee Break in the Expo. Get to know the exhibitors and find resources for products and services your program needs.
Friday October 21, 2022 10:00 - 10:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Expo & Break

10:30 EDT

Restorative Just Culture in Times of Crisis - From a Risk Management and Legal Perspective
This interactive session, led by a risk manager and recreation law attorney, will connect the concept of organizational culture to the steps a program takes in reacting, responding, and communicating in the wake of a critical incident. How do we balance safety and accountability? How do we strive for a humane, compassionate response without enlarging our liability? This workshop will include an interactive session in which participants discuss their organization's response to hypothetical scenarios, and actively explore nuances and questions that arise.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Risk Management Consultant, Experiential Consulting, LLC
Steve Smith (he/him/his) is the founder of Experiential Consulting, LLC, specializing in risk management for outdoor programs and the lead author/editor of Beneficial Risks: The Evolution of Risk Management for Outdoor and Experiential Education Programs. After taking a NOLS course... Read More →
avatar for Leah Corrigan

Leah Corrigan

Managing Attorney, Recreation Law Group
Leah Corrigan is the Managing Attorney of Recreation Law Group, a legal and riskmanagement firm that advises and defends a wide variety of outdoor recreation businesses.Leah is an experienced litigator who has represented outdoor industry clients in seriouspersonal injury matters... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response

10:30 EDT

Have You Got It Covered? Insurance 101 with Exposure Scenarios that Could Lead to Catastrophic Organizational and Financial Loss
Field Accident; Sexual Misconduct; Vehicle Accidents; Medical Malpractice; Crisis Response;. What do these exposures have in common? If not managed properly, an incident involving any of these can quickly lead an organization into a deep financial and legal quagmire. Are you confident sure your insurance policies are adequately properly protecting your organization's assets and reputation? Also, do you understand  critical is having an understanding of what is required of you, the insured, to trigger coverage. Participants in this session will learn the basic structure of a good insurance program; and through a series of scenarios and guided discussions will explore the complexities of managing incident response.
Speakers
avatar for Sam Daume

Sam Daume

Senior Vice President, Fred C. Church
Sam has been in the insurance industry since 1986 and has worked with educational institutions since 1989.  He joined the Fred C. Church Education Team as a Client Executive in January of 2009 and provides risk management advice and insurance brokerage service to independent schools... Read More →
LZ

Lach Zemp

Risk Management Officer, Outward Bound USA
Lach (pronounced "Lash") Zemp serves as the Risk Management Officer at Outward Bound, overseeing a range of risk management issues and claims for the Outward Bound Schools. Prior to joining Outward Bound, Lach practiced law for 30 years defending clients, including summer camps and... Read More →
avatar for Paul Dreyer

Paul Dreyer

CEO, Avid4 Adventure
Paul Dreyer, a self-proclaimed "mercenary educator," has had the opportunity to work with numerous organizations, including NOLS, Where There Be Dragons, High Mountain Institute, and the Watershed School. Paul has worked throughout the world as a facilitator, curriculum designer... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Legal and Insurance, CORE

10:30 EDT

Emotional Intelligence: Building A Culture of Risk Management Begins Within
Whether we are highly experienced backcountry ski guides or middle-school teachers taking students on a field trip to the local swimming hole, the success of our programs - and even the lives of those entrusted to us - rests both on the intentional development of our emotional intelligence and a deep understanding of the role it plays in risk management. Learn to build a culture of risk management through the lenses of the four main facets of emotional intelligence.
Speakers
RA

Rae Anglen

Risk Management Trainer and Developer, Xcursion Risk Services
As a professional outdoor educator and risk management trainer, Rae Anglen uses her time and experience in outdoor industry leadership positions to better understand emotional intelligence and its applications to risk management. With a professional history in studying how risk is... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Mental/Social/Emotional Health

10:30 EDT

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
What do we identify as the Strategy “high road”? Strategy is thoroughly considered and evaluated to promote the best outcomes and the fewest disruptions to health and wellbeing while furthering the goals of the expedition. Culture relies on previous experience, transference of knowledge from lead scientists and senior field staff to upcoming researchers, and may not take into account the perspective of Steve Smith’s “Safety Differently” bell curve. How do we shift the culture to encompass a wider perspective that includes human factors, DEI, and lessons learned? We don’t have all of the answers but we would love it if you joined the discussion.
Speakers
avatar for Kate Koons

Kate Koons

Field Risk Manager, US Antartic Program
Over the last 25 years, Kate has been working in the outdoor field in a variety of capacities: NOLS instructor, backcountry ski guide, avalanche educator, Antarctic camp manager and risk management consultant. Currently, she works for the US Antarctic Program as the Field Risk Manager... Read More →
JS

John Stoddard

Field Risk Technician, Polar Field Services
John discovered the power of wilderness experiences as a participant in a YMCA camp that culminated in a 60 day canoe traverse of the Canadian boreal forest and tundra.  He went on to work for the camp for 8 years and then as a NOLS field instructor between 1999-2016, gaining 240... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Program Administration, CORE

10:30 EDT

From Chaos to Competency: Standardizing Your Training and Assessment
Want to know for sure your staff’s skills and abilities? This workshop explores standardized training systems using a competency-based model that benefits staff development and safety practices. Participants will identify training gaps and write technical and interpersonal competencies for their programs. On day two, we focus on assessment methods including aligning and implementing assessments in existing competencies. Participants will engage and connect with others to strengthen their training foundations and develop tangible takeaways.
Speakers
avatar for Amber Barnett

Amber Barnett

Director of Program and Safety, Colorado Outward Bound
Amber is the Program and Safety Director at the Colorado Outward Bound School and has been working for national and international OB schools since 2006, including a long stint with Outward Bound Australia as an Instructor, Trainer, and Training Manager. For the last eight years she... Read More →
avatar for Julia Makowski

Julia Makowski

Consultant and Trainer, Training Direction
Julia worked with the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School for over 15 years in the SeaProgram and served as the school’s Safety Director and Associate Director of Education and Innovation.She now lives year-round in Colorado where she works as a Training Consultant, Ski Patroller... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 10:30 - 12:00 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Staff Training & Decision Making, CORE

12:00 EDT

Lunch Break
Lunch break for all attendees. Expo Open.
Friday October 21, 2022 12:00 - 13:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Expo & Break

13:30 EDT

Grin and Bear It, what you need to know about sharing the wilderness with bears
A number of outdoor enthusiasts as well as rurally based facilities are encountering bears at an increasing rate. Knowing how to respect these creatures in their habitat is essential for the safety of humans and bears.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the unique physical characteristics and behaviors of the most common bear species.
2. Describe interventions that can prevent negative human-bear interventions.
3. Identify factors relating to climate change that impact bear habitats and behaviors.
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Crockett

Sarah Crockett

Professor of Emergency Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Sarah C. Crockett, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, and the founder and director of the Wilderness and Austere Medicine Fellowship at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She is also the co-founder of the Women in Wilderness Medicine Committee of the WMS. Sarah has... Read More →
WG

Will Galvin

Fellow, Dartmouth Wilderness and Austere Medicine

Friday October 21, 2022 13:30 - 15:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Field Practices

13:30 EDT

Employment Law Considerations for Outdoor Organizations
Should we hire our workers as 1099 independent contractors or W2 employees? Does the Biden Administration's new minimum wage rule apply to us? What does the law say about incorporating JEDI considerations into our hiring practices? This presentation will discuss each of these questions by summarizing some of the main legal and practical points outdoor industry organizations can consider to both improve relations with their workers and reduce the risk of employment law issues.
Speakers
KB

Kristen Burke

Attorney, CrestPoint Law PLLC
Kristen Burke is an attorney in Denver, Colorado. She provides risk-management counsel to camps, schools, outfitters, rental shops, and other outdoor recreation clients to help them manage their unique liability risks. She offers advice related to legal documents such as risk release... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 13:30 - 15:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Legal and Insurance

13:30 EDT

Best Practices in Medical Screening 2022
Medical screening is a ubiquitous yet poorly understood part of our industry. Legal recommendations range from not doing screening at all to managing every condition identified during screening. Medical clearance can include contracted medical advisors, existing policies, or enrollment of a prospective client’s medical team. The balance between these, as well as where to find medical standards, consensus guidelines, and best practices aren't always clear. This presentation addresses these issues with a solution-based approach.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins

Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins

Medical Advisor, North Carolina Outward Bound School, SCA, REI
Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins, a physician board certified in both emergency medicine and EMS and a Master Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, is a frequent WRMC lecturer. He is REI, SCA, and NC Outward Bound School’s medical advisor and Wilderness Medicine Magazine’s executive... Read More →
JD

Justin Doroshenko

Director of Education, Hawk Ventures
Justin has been involved in outdoor leadership and wilderness medicine for 20 years and holds a Master’s Degree in Outdoor Education from Georgia College. He currently serves as the Director of Education for Hawk Ventures and the Medical Director for Pisgah Climbing and Outdoor... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 13:30 - 15:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Program Administration, CORE

13:30 EDT

Turning the Great Resignation into the Great Opportunity by assessing culture
We have much to learn from this unprecedented workforce migration. While employees seek new opportunities for growth and stability, supervisors are working to identify and close gaps – and to make valuable changes.

While HR and marketing are often tasked with developing long term solutions, managers are most acutely responsible for short-term solutions. In this presentation, we’ll share structures to identify areas where related risks show up – and some tools and tactics to mitigate those risks.
Speakers
avatar for AJ Wojtalik

AJ Wojtalik

Marketing Director, Outward Bound Services Group
AJ (she/her) joined Outward Bound in February of 2013 after 8-years in media, preceded by marketing in the outdoor recreation industry and roaming the Western Slope of Colorado on horseback. Approaching her work with a risk management lens, AJ got her start at the Colorado Outward... Read More →
avatar for Victoria Kerr

Victoria Kerr

Head of HR & Risk Management, Open Sky Wilderness
After 20 years in Programs and Safety with Outward Bound, Vic (she/her) is currently serving as Head of Human Resources and Risk Management for Open Sky Wilderness Therapy. Her personal values reflect human-centered and inclusive workplaces and workplace cultures. Her approach is... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 13:30 - 15:00 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Program Administration

13:30 EDT

How risk tolerance asessment can inform staff training and course design
How do you and your organization assess the risk tolerance of your clients to create an inclusive and culturally welcoming experience that celebrates awareness and examination of peoples differences in risk, risk tolerance and awareness?
How do you manage risk based on a risk tolerance assessment?
Is your organization's risk tolerance aligned from the board/ leadership all the way to the field staff and students?
We will examine and discuss specific ways to assess you organization's risk tolerance as well as assessing your clients varying levels of risk tolerance to help design trainings and courses.
Speakers
MA

Michael Armstrong

Head of Operations, Outward Bound Hong Kong
Mike began his career as an outdoor educator in 1992. He has worked for Outward Bound and other schools around the world for the last 30 years.  Mike recently spent 4 ½ years as the Head of Operations at Outward Bound Hong Kong and currently sits on the Risk Management Committees... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 13:30 - 15:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Staff Training & Decision Making

14:30 EDT

Exhibitor Showcase and Afternoon Break - All Attendees
All Conference Attendees Afternoon Snack Break in the Expo
Friday October 21, 2022 14:30 - 15:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Expo & Break

15:30 EDT

What adventure research tells us and how it applies to your programs: Best of the Adventure Risk Research Symposium
Since 2019 the Adventure Risk Research Symposium (ARRS) has been held in conjunction with the WRMC, providing a forum for researchers to share and discuss their outdoor risk-specific findings. Topics are wide ranging, from injury data analysis to Covid impacts, organizational safety culture measures to participant engagement, and second victim effects to waiver form effectiveness. This session is the greatest hits from this emerging body of work, highlighting key findings and tying them to what this means to you, your field staff, and your programs. Practical application of research within your own organization will be examined as a means of quality control and managing risk and participant safety. Presented by the ARRS co-founder and co-chair.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Jeff Jackson

Dr. Jeff Jackson

Professor, Coordinator, Algonquin College
Jeff Jackson, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator and longtime contributor to the WRMC, introducing concepts such as sensemaking and systems planning. Jeff is a professor and coordinator of Algonquin College's Outdoor Adventure guide training diploma, where he oversees 10,000 student... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 15:30 - 17:00 EDT
Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Emergency Planning and Crisis Response

15:30 EDT

The Full View – Do You Have All the Pieces of the Puzzle to Run a Programmatic or Commercial Recreation Operation?
This session is going to be VERY interactive! We are going to – literally – take the various pieces of running a good quality and defensible recreation program and put them together like a puzzle. We want to look at things like: structural issues (LLC or Inc?), insurance (do you know the various types you need?), staffing and the role of counsel (should you have a lawyer?), the various defenses that recreation providers rely on and how those defenses are put together in day-to-day entity practices so they can be expressed in trial or dispute resolution (do you know what assumption of the risk IS and how your entity can put it to use or rely on it?), how are you contracting with other entities that contribute to your product/activity (do you have a transport company, do you outsource food preparation and are these entities under contract and do you have a COI from them?), and we want to understand the nuances of your exact activity in the context of your geographic region (has your state or federal district spoken about releases or are there industry standards that you should be conforming to in your activity or area?). We want to go deeper than the primer sessions and take a look at overall health of a recreation organization/entity and give attendees a good overview that will spark them to look at best management practices at several levels of their organization and how it all coordinates into a quality and defensible program. Participants need to be aware of – and comfortable with - the fact that there is no list or cookbook that fits each entity. Nurturing your program or entity means looking at and becoming familiar with the several ‘layers’ and approaches that each entity should be looking at – IE – what are the office people doing vs. the field staff and how do those roles coalesce? Have the office staff created appropriate forms and data collection systems that reflect what the field staff are accomplishing? How does each level of the entity accomplish hazard recognition? It’s time to take the plunge and have a comprehensive overview of what your whole entity/program and its various parts should look like to see if the entire entity is functioning at its best. This is the end game of risk management and is intended to engage everything you have learned up to this point at WRMC.
Speakers
avatar for Tracey Knutson

Tracey Knutson

Attorney, Knutson Law
Tracey L. Knutson is a licensed attorney whose primary practice involves working with recreation and adventure sports commercial operators, public land administrators and recreation oriented educational groups. An experienced trial lawyer, Tracey defends recreation companies and sports... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 15:30 - 17:00 EDT
Emerald I - 1st Floor
  Legal and Insurance

15:30 EDT

Compassionate Risk Taking for the Sustainable Future
Overview:
Capacity for compassionate risk taking is an outcome of effective adventure education. The culture of risk aversion has been adversely affecting quality of outdoor experiences. Fear of liability in its many forms moves outdoor industry away from Free Living in Nature towards prescribed and often transactional experiences of shorter duration and limited scope. In the past two years, the reduction approach to risk taking has caused substantial degradation of social well-being. To achieve social transformation and reverse the climate change we need to raise generations of compassionate and altruistic risk-takers and the adventure education has a unique role to play!

During this interactive workshop participants will examine the benefits of healthy risk-taking approach to life and education, create a list of personal and institutional healthy risk-taking habits, develop methods for holding exciting briefings with stakeholders aimed at replacing the irrational fear with excitement for adventure and leave inspired to change the institutional culture of fear.
Speakers
MG

Misha Golfman

Founder, Kroka Expeditions
Misha Golfman is a co-founder of Kroka Expeditions, a farm-based wilderness expedition school in Marlow, NH. He was raised in Northern Russia in an outdoor tradition foraging for sustenance and enjoying long winters at a ski-in cabin. Misha and his wife Lynne raised their four children... Read More →
NL

Nathan Lyczak

Managing Director, Kroka Expeditions
Prior to coming to Kroka, Nathan had served as a communications officer in the US Navy, taught English in Nicaragua, and worked as a 4th grade classroom teacher in rural New Hampshire. As an undergraduate he studied Physics, changing course later in life when he pursued a Masters... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 15:30 - 17:00 EDT
Amphitheater - Ground Floor
  Program Administration

15:30 EDT

Consent and Other Risk Management Lessons from Partner Dance
Consent and Other Risk Management Lessons from Partner Dance is a two part workshop. The first half is active, with movement exercises that underscore risk management priorities. The second half is a reflection and deeper dive into each of those practices, with a particular emphasis on consent. At the end, Madeleine will share her experience as a professional dancer and W-EMT that offer the ‘why’ behind these practices. No previous dance experience necessary!
Speakers
avatar for Madeleine Lebovic

Madeleine Lebovic

Refugee Shelter Supervisor, W-EMT, German Red Cross
Madeleine Lebovic is a W-EMT, dancer, and adventurer whose passion lies at the intersection of safety and communication. She holds a bachelors in International Relations from Tufts University and spent last year as a Fulbright fellow in Germany, where she worked in a medical capacity... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 15:30 - 17:00 EDT
Emerald III - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Program Administration

15:30 EDT

Making Risk Management Training Tangible for Staff Using Cross-Industry Adaptations
The ability to manage risk is a hallmark of excellent leaders. Let’s challenge the current ways in which we plan training and introduce new theories in training design. With recognition of cross industry research as an invaluable resource, this session presents a frontline staff centered framework for training risk management. Let’s round this off with specific training ideas you can walk away with to enhance your training sessions and make them tangible.
Speakers
avatar for Rumi Kodama

Rumi Kodama

Paramedic/Wilderness Therapy Guide, Unaffiliated
Rumi is a paramedic in Vancouver, BC with roots in the outdoor/wilderness therapy industry in numerous roles for over 20 years from YMCA to BC Conservation Corps to NOLS and Outward Bound Canada and Alaska Crossings. Risk is inherent in everything we do and the power of bringing practices... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 15:30 - 17:00 EDT
Emerald II - 1st Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Staff Training & Decision Making

17:30 EDT

Social Hour
Unstructured Networking
Friday October 21, 2022 17:30 - 18:30 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  Social Hour

18:30 EDT

Keynote Presentation Joshua Morris and Dinner - How Risk Management Saved Lives During the Thai Cave Rescue
Dinner is included in your conference registration from 6:30-7:30pm followed by the Keynote Presentation from Joshua Morris.  

For 18 days in the month of July, 12 boys and their coach were trapped inside a flooded cave. The rescuers faced challenging conditions unlike anything ever experienced before. With a unique behind the scenes perspective, Josh’s illustrated talk will highlight key decisions made during the course of this mission which ultimately led to its success. Josh will explore how risk management played a significant role during a crisis and share how cross cultural and outdoor education provided him and his team with the necessary skills to play a key role in the rescue.
Speakers
avatar for Joshua

Joshua "Josh" Morris

Founder/Director, The Progression Group
Keynote Speaker Joshua Morris is the founder and CEO of The Progression Group, a multicultural organization that works with students, educators, corporations, and athletes to fuel individual growth, create meaningful connections, and prepare for what’s next. An avid climber and... Read More →

Friday October 21, 2022 18:30 - 21:00 EDT
Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor Double Tree By Hilton, Burlington, VT, USA
  General Session
 
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  • Emergency Planning and Crisis Response
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    • Amphitheater - Ground Floor
    Diamond Ballroom - 1st Floor
    Emerald I - 1st Floor
    Emerald II - 1st Floor
    Emerald III - 1st Floor
    Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall - Ground Floor
    Lake Champlain Exhibition Theater
    Lake Champlain Foyer
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    Shelburne Room - Ground Floor
    TBA
    Valcour Room - Ground Floor