2026 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

Main Conference: Tuesday October 20 - Thursday, October 22, 2026

Preconference: Monday October 19 - Tuesday, October 20, 2026

*Schedule subject to change.

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8:30am PDT

The Poop Panel: Health, Hygiene, and Habitats when “Human Waste” Happens

Thursday October 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT

Everyone poops – but in the field, how we manage it can have real consequences for participant and ecosystem health, group dynamics, and organizational risk.

This candid, practical panel brings together experts in field protocols, wilderness medicine, youth program design and implementation, land management, and both wilderness and global travel programs to explore the challenges of human waste in field settings.

Panelists will use real-world scenarios (some routine, some messy) to examine gastrointestinal illness prevention and management, human waste disposal, outbreak response, Leave No Trace considerations, and public lands regulations. Panelists will also share a variety of approaches to communicating about poop that foster a positive risk management culture with participants and field staff. We will address youth-specific challenges (e.g., “poop avoidance”) and inclusion (e.g., pre-existing health issues, cultural sensitivity, gender dynamics).

Attendees will leave with (1) actionable frameworks for prevention, decision-making, and incident response, (2) an up-to-date understanding of wilderness medicine protocols for assessment and treatment of gastrointestinal illnesses, and (3) practical tools for teaching, normalizing, and managing one of the most universal (and operationally complex) aspects of outdoor programs.

Speakers

José González

Faculty, NOLS

José H. González Sanders, Ed.D., is Director and Chair of Experiential Education at The Overlake School, leading outdoor, global, and service learning programs. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in risk management systems, safety science, and international program... Read More →

Paul Dreyer

Strategy Associate, Where There Be Dragons

Paul Dreyer (he/him) has worked throughout the world as a facilitator, presenter, curriculum designer, coach, expeditionary leader, RM consultant, and remote medicine instructor. After years as CEO of Avid4 Adventure, Paul became a consultant supporting multiple organizations, including... Read More →

Neal Fox

Founder and Executive Director, Sierra STEM

Dr. Neal Fox (he/him) is the Founder and Executive Director of Sierra STEM, an outdoor education and science enrichment nonprofit in California’s Eastern Sierra. Neal earned his PhD from Brown University and spent 12 years as a researcher and teacher before moving to the mountains... Read More →

Nadia Kimmel

CEO, Desert Mountain Medicine

Nadia serves as an instructor, curriculum writer, and founding member of the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative. Nadia holds an MS from Northern Arizona University, where her research examined backcountry human waste disposal and fecal bacteria in Southwest ecosystems. Her... Read More →

Thursday October 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT
Clackamas 909 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR 97217

Field Practices, Breakout Session

1:30pm PDT

Tell Your Risk Management Story: How to Better Share Incidents From the Field to Sharpen Your Skills, Strengthen Learning Outcomes, and Enhance Your Career

Thursday October 22, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

Weyerhaeuser

When you work in the field long enough, you soon find yourself with a catalog of stories to tell at happy hour, or around the campfire, about the incidents and near misses you’ve experienced in your career. These stories can be challenging to share, or quite exciting and fun. The presenters of this workshop will argue that storytelling is a skill that can be developed, and is a skill that has immense value for guides and educators who both manage risk in the wilderness setting, and teach others to develop their own risk management practices. First, this workshop will give participants an opportunity to “tell” a personal risk management story. Then, attendees will receive some guiding frameworks on how to increase the impact of their story based on the goal of sharing their story, and the venue in which the story is shared. The discussion will prompt weaving the story into their debrief practices, lesson plans, and job interviews. This workshop will be of value for all attendees, but may be of particular utility for earlier career field professionals looking to reflect and speak to recent incidents in their developing career.

Speakers

Matt Leslie

Associate Director, Custom Education, NOLS

Matt Leslie is the Associate Director of Business Development for NOLS Custom Education, helping bring the NOLS curriculum and experiential learning to their wide-ranging partner organizations. Matt is also a senior field instructor for NOLS, leading backpacking, rock climbing, and... Read More →

Zach Taylor

Senior Field Instructor, NOLS

Zach Taylor (he/him) is a NOLS field and wilderness medicine instructor with 7 years leading wilderness expeditions across North America. In addition to field work, Zach has become increasingly passionate about the intentional development of new field instructors — serving on NOLS... Read More →

Thursday October 22, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Weyerhaeuser 909 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR 97217

Field Practices, Breakout Session

3:00pm PDT

Wilderness Medicine: What’s New and Evolving CORE

Thursday October 22, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm PDT

Clackamas

Join us for an update on what’s new in the field of wilderness medicine. We’ll explore evolving practices and revisit outdated ones, with topics ranging from epinephrine administration and naloxone to blisters and tourniquet use. Refresh your skills and leave with the most up-to-date information currently being taught at NOLS Wilderness Medicine.

Speakers

Robin Larson

Wilderness Medicine Education Director, NOLS

Graham Prather

Wilderness Medicine Education Manager, NOLS

Graham Prather is the Education Manager at NOLS Wilderness Medicine. He has over two decades of experience in experiential education and holds an MS in Experiential Education and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. A Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) and mental... Read More →

Thursday October 22, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm PDT
Clackamas 909 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR 97217

Field Practices, Breakout Session