Outdoor Program
Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center, Rm. 141
1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3604
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2402
Email: op@uwyo.edu
The University of Wyoming Outdoor Program offers a full spectrum of wilderness medicine courses through Longleaf Wilderness Medicine (LWM). These courses include Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and WFR Recertification. These courses are absolutely essential training for budding and current outdoor educators and enthusiasts.
Longleaf Wilderness Medicine courses provide high quality education. They are a supporting organization of the Scope of Practice (SOP) documents, which are documents created by a group of wilderness medicine providers and is the standard for WFR and WFA courses. Course curriculum is kept up to date on best practices in wilderness medicine. LWM instructors have both extensive medical training and teaching experience to provide a quality learning experience for students.
Please contact the Outdoor Program office for further information.
The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is a 16 hour course designed to introduce the concepts of medical care in a wilderness setting. The course focuses patient assessment, providing care with limited resources, decisions on calling for additional help, splinting, wound care, and managing spine injuries.
The WFA course may be the best choice for weekend campers, people taking day hikes within cell phone coverage, and those who are just looking for basic instruction. If you like it and want more, you can always come back later and take a longer, more intensive course.
Those looking to apply for UW Outdoor Program Field Staff positions, the WFA is the minimum requirement for our programs.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive the following two year certifications:
Adult and Child CPR and AED
Wilderness First Aid
Epinephrine/anaphylaxis module
Certifications are not a guaranteed outcome of the course.
The WFA Course for 2025 will be held May 18-19, 2025.
Cost: $215 for UW Students; $300 for faculty/staff/public
The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) provides advanced medical training for outdoor professionals, those who take multi-day or longer personal trips, those who take part in high risk activities (rock climbing, whitewater paddling, mountaineering, multi-week expeditions of all kinds, etc.), or those who simply want to know more about wilderness medicine. Training covers patient assessment, providing care with limited resources, decisions on calling for additional help, splinting, wound care, managing spine injuries, etc.
The WFR course is for certification, as a Wilderness First Responder is the industry standard for outdoor instructors and guides.
Those looking to apply for UW Outdoor Program Field Staff positions, the WFR is the preferred requirement for our programs.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive the following two year certifications:
Adult and Child CPR and AED
Wilderness First Responder
Epinephrine/anaphylaxis module
Certifications are not a guaranteed outcome of the course.
The Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources offers upper division credit for the Wilderness First Responder certification. Students must successfully complete all WFR course requirements and provide proof of current certification to receive credit.
ENR 3900 Wilderness Medicine, 3 credits (S/U grading)
If you are not currently a UW student, you may still receive credit by applying to the university as a non-degree seeking student, additional information can be found at UW Admissions.
For more information and to enroll in ENR 3900, please contact Melanie Matthews, Project Coordinator for the Haub School, at melanie.matthews@uwyo.edu.
The WFR will be a hybrid method; a self-paced online content followed by 5 days of in-person learning. The entire course is 72 hours.
January 7-11, 2025
Cost: $550 for UW Students; $650 for Staff/Faculty/Public
The WFR Recertification course provides recertification of your already existing WFR certification that is current or in grace period. This course is important to stay up to date on industry standards and to refresh skills.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive the following two year certifications:
Adult and Child CPR and AED
Wilderness First Responder
Epinephrine/anaphylaxis module
Certifications are not a guaranteed outcome of the course.
Saturday/Sunday | January 4-5, 2025 | 8 am - 5pm
Cost: $215 for UW Students; $300 for faculty/staff/public
Outdoor Program
Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center, Rm. 141
1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3604
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2402
Email: op@uwyo.edu