Norwegian School of Nature Life

At the Norwegian School of Nature Life, our mission is to provide unique and alternative approaches to teaching, learning, and experiencing outdoor education. We believe that the natural world is one of the most exceptional classrooms, and we are dedicated to offering meaningful educational experiences for individuals of all ages, right in the heart of Utah's inspiring and plentiful Natural areas.

We lead groups of 8 or less students on day trips to the Uinta Mountains, where we immerse ourselves in the Natural world.  Classes focus on skills like map reading, orientation, emergency preparedness, shelter building and rope work, all with the intent of building students' confidence to the point that they can safely explore Nature independently as part of a balanced life.  We also teach about ecology, biology, plant identification, wilderness ethics and season specific skills like snowshoeing.  

What is most important is that we get students outside. We believe this time outdoors exercising, learning and leading is vital for our mental health and physical wellness.  This concept is best described by the Norwegian concept of "Friluftsliv" which translates to "free air life".  This tradition in Norway can take many forms, but revolves around a dedication to spending time in Nature as a regular part of ones life.  With over 4 decades of outdoor education experience, we aim to bring that concept here to Utah. 

  Our organization runs its own programs open to all Summit county residents (within the age group for each program), and also collaborates with other programs such as homeschool co-operatives and private schools.  So far we have focused on the 7-11 age group but plan to expand that soon. Norwegian School of Nature Life (NSNL) is a continuation of the Norwegian Outdoor Exploration Center (NOEC), which served the Park City area from 1980-2013. The goal of the school is to assist students of all ages to better understand themselves, others and all of Nature through immersive outdoor educational experiences, in the spirit of Frilfuftsliv.