Adventure Starts Here
We are lacing up our boots and packing our field guides as we prepare for our upcoming summer adventures. Read about how to become an instructor in Western Canada and how to participate in one of our featured Wilderness First Responder (WFR) courses.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Now Hiring Instructors for Western Canada!
We’re expanding our instructor team in British Columbia and Alberta and looking for qualified individuals with experience in patient care, wilderness travel, and teaching. If you’re passionate about the outdoors and eager to teach for WMA International, we want to hear from you.
What We’re Looking For:
• Passion for our curriculum and teaching
• Experience in pre-hospital patient care (e.g., ski patrol, EMR, paramedic, other)
• Wilderness tripping or technical outdoor skills
Our next Instructor training will be October 7-10, 2025 in Canmore or Calgary, Alberta; TBD
COURSE SPOTLIGHT
Upcoming Wilderness First Responder Courses
Here is a look at just a few of our courses happening around North America. There is still time to register for many upcoming courses. Search our Find a Course page to identify opportunities in your area!
UPCOMING COURSES
- May 16-24 in Gettysburg, PA, United States — LTC: Wilderness Medicine Leadership — Host: Gettysburg College
- May 17-25 in Taos, Muskoka, ON, Canada — LTC: Wilderness Safety Systems — Host: Paddlefoot
- May 24-June 1 in Whitehorse, YK, Canada — LTC: Headwaters 2 Ocean Troutfitter, Ltd — Host: Canadian Outdoor Academy
- June 1-7 in Buena Vista, CO, United States — LTC: Colorado Outside
Don’t see an upcoming course in your area? Head over to our website to view additional WFR courses near you.
COURSE SPOTLIGHT
5-Day and Hybrid Wilderness First Responder Courses
FAQ: What is the difference between the 5-Day WFR and the Hybrid WFR?
Answer: The main differences lie in the pre-course work and in-class teaching methods. In the Hybrid WFR, students engage with slides and materials during the pre-course work, which allows in-class time to focus on skill stations, drills, debriefs, and discussions. The 5-Day WFR also uses active teaching methods like skills stations and drills, but it incorporates slides and lectures throughout the course as well. See more details on the pre-course work below.
5-Day WFR
Required pre-course work with 30+ hours of textbook review and the completion of a study guide and exam.
Hybrid WFR
Required pre-course e-learning modules with 30+ hours of asynchronous interactive online learning.
Check out these 5-Day or Hybrid WFR courses (pre-course work required):
5-Day WFR Course
- 5/16-5/20 Location: Boulder Junction, WI, USA LTC: Lochsa Wilderness Medicine Host: YMCA Camp Manito-Wish
- 5/31-6/4 Location: Idyllwild, CA, USA LTC: Adventure Risk Management
Hybrid WFR Course
- 5/17-5/21 Location: Malakwa, BC, Canada LTC: Mountain Med Consulting
- 5/19-5/23 Location: Bedford, VA, USA LTC: Dynamic Wilderness Education
Don’t see an upcoming course in your area? Head over to our website to view additional courses near you.
From Our Graduates:
We love to hear from our graduates about their course experiences or how they were able to put their skills to the test. Here is our favorite that we received recently:
I wanted to drop you a line to let you know about my positive experience at the WMA WFR course that I just completed.
This was my 12th or 13th WFR that I have done and it was by far the best. I especially appreciated that the teachings were more practical instead of focusing on technical, non-useful memorization. The class teachings flowed fantastically; I don’t think I dozed off once. The scenarios were very realistic. I liked how Daz made us communicate what the patient needed with the 911 operator. You have really scored with having Darren “Daz” Stokes as an instructor. I honestly don’t think I can remember having a WFR instructor as good as he was.
Anyway, thanks for the great course. I’ll see you in three years for my next WFR recert.
-Steve
