Learn with Outdoor UW
Outdoor UW provides students and community members opportunities to learn from experienced outdoor educators and industry professionals every academic year. Join us to learn new outdoor skills, improve upon your existing knowledge base, and/or develop new leadership techniques to expand your influence!
Introductory courses are designed to provide you with the skillset to start your adventure outdoors, no experience necessary! Join us for courses like intro to skiing, car camping, fire-building and more.
Leadership courses will elevate your ability to manage your own outdoor organization. We offer courses centered around community building, budgeting & fundraising, managing volunteers and more!
Advancement courses are all about safety outdoors, developed in collaboration with NOLS. Learn about wilderness first aid, and get (re)certified as a Wilderness First Responder!
We are always developing new courses and re-running previous courses so stay informed about our latest class offerings by subscribing to the Outdoor UW email list.
Previous Intro Courses
- Intro to Leave No Trace
- Intro to Nautical Navigation
- Map Reading and Wayfinding
- Knot Tying
- Backpacking
- Bikepacking and Maintenance
- Car Camping
- Expeditionary Canoeing
- Fire Building
- Foraging
- Backcountry Cooking, Nutrition, and Ration Planning
- Backcountry Fishing
- Bear Safety
- Intro to Wilderness First Aid
- Managing Risk in the Outdoors
- Camping and Trip Planning
- Local Wisconsin Trips
- Psychology of the Outdoors
- Intro to Snowshoeing
- Winter Camping
- Intro to Cross Country Skiing
Are you interested in a previous course topic, or do you have a new skill you'd like to learn more about? We're all ears! Share your thoughts and suggestions with us at ouwmanager@union.wisc.edu.
Upcoming Events
Outdoor Explorer Series: Backpacking Basics
Outdoor Explorer Series: Foraging for Beginners
Outdoor Explorer Series: Intro to Adaptive Kayaking (NEW CLASS)
NOLS Wilderness First Aid
Outdoor Explorer Series: Pooping in the Woods (NEW CLASS)
Outdoor Explorer Series: Must Know Knots
Outdoor Explorer Series: Geocaching (NEW CLASS)
NOLS Wilderness First Responder Recertification Course (Hybrid)
NOLS Wilderness First Responder Recertification Course (Hybrid)