Wilderness First Aid/CPR Certification

Join Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival us as we welcome Institute for Wild Med for this 2 day certification course in Wilderness First Aid.

After full completition of this course, you will be certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. This course also acts as a recertification course for any Wilderness First Aid certification holders. All experience levels are welcome.

This course is a requirement in the OEWS Alula Curriculum and Certification.

Please note: All the photos used in the advertisement for this class contain students wearing make-up for fake injuries during scenarios to previous classes. Classes contain hands-on training and the instructors use make up to create realistic fake injuries for students to practice caring for in the field.

Why Take Wilderness First Aid?

This immersive experience is for people who spend time in the outdoors and want to know more advanced techniques for preventing and responding to emergencies which occur in locations that are an hour or more from definitive care.

After the course, you will set off on your adventures feeling more relaxed, self-reliant, and ready for anything.

Topics we cover include:

• Patient Assessment System
• Conducting a Patient Exam
• Monitoring Vital Signs
• Patient History
• Soft Tissue Injuries including Bleeding Control
• Musculoskeletal Injuries: Sprains, Strains, Fractures, Dislocations
• Splinting
• Hypothermia
• Frostbite
• Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke
• Burns
• Spinal Cord Injury Management
• Lightning
• Bites and Stings
• Allergies/Anaphylaxis
• Shock
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Seizures

Certification Period:

2 Years

Length:

16 hours in-person WFA + 2 hours online CPR. 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday

This is a 2 day "in-person" course and will also have a portion of online work. Full attendance and online course work is required for completion to gain your certification.

What to Bring:

• Notebook and Pen/Pencil.
• Dressed for weather (you may be laying ont he ground during scenarios, bring extra clothing, please note that make-up, fake blood, clay may be used for scenarios so its best to bring clothes you do not mind getting dirty/wet.
• Any materials you bring on a day hike to practice using.
• Water, Lunch, and Snacks.

Schedule:

• October 17th and 18th 2026
• 9am-5pm each day. Online "at home" course work required as well.

Minimum Age: 16

Bathroom facilities are available on site and will be available for the duration of class.

Course Completion Policy:

Students must complete all online coursework and associated skills labs. Certification will be completed only upon full completion of required course work and class time.

Upon sign up, do not unsubscribe from Instutite for Wild Med's emails, as you may miss important course updates and paperwork.

This class is hosted by Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival and taught by Institute for WildMed. Class will be held at Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, New Hampshire.

About the Instructors:

Nicole Roma Thurrell
CEO, Director of Education

Recipient of the Massachusetts Award for Excellence in Science Education, Nicole is a passionate educator who loves turning people on to strategies for caring more skillfully for their fellow human beings.

She has degrees in Psychology and Recreation Therapy from the University of North Carolina and has been a Wilderness EMT since 2001.

Nicole has decades of experience working in many aspects of wilderness therapy, including expedition leader, health director, and director of admissions.

Whether it was leading adventures on the water, on land, or in the air, Nicole has done it all. She has been an adventure racer, a raft guide, high ropes facilitator, a clinician for kids with Autism, a Waldorf high school teacher, and a mom.

Oliver Reitz

Wild Med Instructor + Project Manager

Oliver has a long-held interest in bodies and healing. He got his start in health care as a teenager, working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and tutoring students in Anatomy and Physiology. He currently holds a Bachelor's Degree in Health Education and Promotion and is a certified Wilderness First Responder, EMT, and Funeral Director.

Oliver's interest in the outdoors came later in life, when he moved to Massachusetts in 2014. He discovered a love for the mountains and waterfalls of New England, and still can't get enough. Oliver's personal favorite adventure activities include hiking, backpacking, climbing, swimming, and snowboarding.

Through his work with The Venture Out Project, Oliver has been leading hikes and backcountry trips with the LGBTQ+ community for almost a decade. This work has been essential in his understanding of the outdoors and who belongs there. Oliver believes in increasing access to the outdoors to all people through education, representation, and dissolving barriers to entry.

You may purchase the Wild Med curated first aid kit HERE.

For any questions, please reach out to Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival.