Wilderness Education Association

The Wilderness Education Association (WEA) is a not-for-profit organization that develops and implements educational curricula and programs aimed at educating people about the appropriate use of wildlands and protected areas. The WEA also forms strategic alliances with federal land management agencies, conservation groups, and all organizations that benefit from wildlands and believe that the existence of wildlands is important to the quality of life.

The WEA has an affiliate network of more than 40 colleges, universities, private, and nonprofit groups that offer their courses. These affiliates are in the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. Through WEA's courses, students can learn a wide range of outdoor leadership skills.

Marni Goldenberg, PhD, assistant professor in the recreation, parks, and tourism administration department at California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, coauthored chapter 1. She is a WEA-certified instructor and an instructor for Outward Bound, and she has been hiking and backpacking for over 15 years.

Bruce Martin, PhD, assistant professor in the school of recreation and sport sciences at Ohio University, coauthored chapter 5. He has been hiking and backpacking throughout the United States and Canada for over 20 years. He is an ACA instructor trainer, a Leave No Trace master educator, and has taught outdoor leadership for a number of years.