Ozarks Outdoors announces upcoming courses

The schedule includes two courses from the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. USIECR is a non-partisan program of the Udall Foundation, an independent federal agency based in Tucson, Ariz. Environmental Conflict Resolution, or ECR, is defined as third-party assisted conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving in the context of environmental, public lands, or natural resource issues or conflicts, including matters related to energy, transportation, and land use.

The first course, Introduction to Managing Environmental Conflict, is a two-day highly participatory and interactive course that will help develop awareness of the many facets of conflict management, focusing on assessing and organizing, the steps in implementing environmental conflict resolution and collaborative planning processes, central concepts of interest-based problem-solving, basic communications survival skills, and resources available. This training exposes those new to Environmental Conflict Resolution to the broad range of concepts and skills that one must have to effectively manage environmental conflicts. The course will take place on October 25 and 26 on the Ozarks campus.

Negotiating Environmental Solutions, the second courses, will be held on January 8 and 9 on the Ozarks campus. This workshop helps new and experienced resource managers engaged in environmental decision-making become more effective in environmental conflict negotiation, prevention and management. This is a highly interactive workshop where lessons learned transfer to many facets of life. Participants will increase self-awareness of strengths and areas for improvement in communication, relationship-building, and negotiation; learn preparation techniques that help identify the psychological, procedural, and substantive issues inherent in negotiations; improve communication survival skills to build enduring working relationships; and build a practical set of skills and tools to work more effectively in interagency settings with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.

The cost is $500 per course, per person. Meals will be available ala carte on site, and shuttle service from and to the Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Northwest Arkansas airports is available for an additional fee of $90. These courses are two of the core courses needed to earn certification in environmental collaboration from the Udall Foundation. To learn more about the certification requirements, see the certification information on the USIECR website.

On May 19-22, Ozarks Outdoors guest instructor Mat Erpelding from Experiential Adventures will teach essential skills for climbing enthusiasts in the Single Pitch Climbing Instructor AMGA Prep Course.

This course focuses on site management and effective outdoor leadership presented in the context of rock climbing, but the skills learned are applicable to many different outdoor environments. The training will establish a positive and productive environment that helps participants develop their leadership skills while increasing rock climbing skills. This course will also qualify as an American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Single Pitch Instructor Preparatory course.

The course is open to the public. The cost for the course is $375, with a discounted rate of $325 available for members of the Ozarks campus community. An optional lodging package of five nights is available for $85, as well as an optional meal package, which provides four days of meals for $72. Optional shuttle service from and to the Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Northwest Arkansas airports is available for an additional fee of $90.

The American Canoe Association (ACA) Level Four Swift Water Rescue course is for paddlers who want to enhance their skills, as well as for rescue personnel who want to enhance their skills. For rescue personnel, the course instructors will adjust the program to fit the needs of the area where the rescue personnel would be asked to respond. The skills taught for rescue personnel meet NFPA standards, while the paddler course meets the requirements for many organizations.

This course will be taught by guest instructors from Ozark Safety & Rescue Educators. This organization caters to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts in the Ozark Mountains, emphasizing small class sizes and student-to-instructor ratios. The instructors are experienced outdoor professionals with years of hands-on, real-world experience dealing with emergencies in the back country.

The course is open to the public for a cost of $160 per person. Members of the Ozarks campus community can take the course for the discounted rate of $145 per person. Lodging and meals are included in the registration fee. An optional shuttle service from and to the Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Northwestern Arkansas airports is available for an additional fee of $90.

The American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI) Wilderness First Responder course meets the certification requirements for professional public and private organizations that require wilderness medical training for their employees as well as for their private individuals who wish to be better prepared for unexpected challenges in a wilderness environment. Whether a person is backpacking, caving, diving, paddling, climbing, or taking part in any other pursuit in an out of the way location where rescue/ambulance help might be a long time coming, this training can make all the difference.

This course will be taught by guest instructors from Ozark Safety & Rescue Educators. This organization caters to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts in the Ozark Mountains, emphasizing small class sizes and student-to-instructor ratios. The instructors are experienced outdoor professionals with years of hands-on, real-world experience dealing with emergencies in the back country.

The course is open to the public at a cost of $575 per person. Members of the Ozarks campus community can enroll in the course for the discounted rate of $485 per person. An optional 11 night lodging package is available for $187, along with a 10 day meal package for $180. Shuttle service from and to the Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Northwestern Arkansas airports is also available for an additional fee of $90.