Newsletter Detail

The first course on the books this January was Wilderness First Aid (WFA), a two-day residential program for instructors
working with groups in the backcountry. Many of our summer program instructors maintain this first aid certification, and it is offered in alternate years opposite our longer Wilderness First Responder course. With the date approaching and an ice road not yet in sight, we postponed WFA until the last weekend of the season, March 12-13. It turned out to be a good move, as the enrollment increased significantly with the date change.

Unfortunately, as the March weekend approached, the ice road threatened to expire early, so the course was modified
to be held as a commuter event on the College’s main campus instead of at Camp Huntington. Again this turned out be
somewhat fortuitous, as most of the students were from SUNY Cortland or nearby communities. Assistant Director Rhonda Jacobs Pitoniak ’01, quickly sent out directions to guide people to the classroom Saturday morning and included motel suggestions for those from out of town. She also met and registered the students and arranged for a catered lunch Saturday and Sunday.

We would like to thank Corey Ryon ’99, M ’03, and Tom Fuchs ’84, M ’87, for helping host the course in Park Center
and assisting the WFA instructor with equipment and logistical support. With the success of the course as offered, we plan to continue to offer it on campus the first weekend of spring break in the future.