Graduates of the Wilderness Education Association
(W.E.A.) were surveyed by mail to investigate the effects of
their certification on safety, ecological impact, and
curriculum standardization of their subsequent leadership
activities. Self-reports showed a slight, but not
statistically significant, decrease in the number of post-
W.E.A. course evacuations and rescues. Graduates reported a
moderate W.E.A. influence on their accident records, and
knowledge of W.E.A. standard safety practices was low.
W.E.A.'s reported influence on the ecological impact of
current outdoor leadership activities was stronger than its
influence on safety, but graduates revealed only a moderate
level of knowledge about ethical use practices. Graduates
reported implementing a mean of 4.54 out of 16 W.E.A.
curriculum areas into current programs. Thirty-three and
one-half percent of the graduates reported not implementing
any curriculum areas into current programs. W.E.A.
graduates indicated that the course had the greatest
influence on the implementation of their outdoor education curriculum areas which had previously not been highly
standardized. Implications for certification of outdoor
leaders are discussed.
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