About Us
About Wilderness First Aid NYC
Nationally recognized wilderness medicine, taught where New Yorkers already are
Our Mission
Founded in 2024, Wilderness First Aid NYC was created to address a simple challenge: New Yorkers who love the outdoors shouldn't have to travel far to access high-quality wilderness medicine training.
Our mission is to make professional-level wilderness first aid education accessible and convenient for the vibrant outdoor community in and around New York City. Whether you're a weekend hiker heading upstate, a camp counselor preparing for summer, or an aspiring guide building your skills, we bring nationally recognized, outdoor industry standard training right to your doorstep.
We believe that everyone who ventures into remote environments deserves the confidence and competence to handle medical emergencies effectively. Through hands-on, scenario-based training using the respected Desert Mountain Medicine curriculum, we prepare students to think clearly and act decisively when it matters most.
Wilderness First Aid NYC is a woman-owned and queer-owned business, proudly serving NYC's diverse outdoor community. 👩🏻 🏳️🌈
Our Curriculum: Desert Mountain Medicine
Wilderness First Aid NYC is an official course provider for Desert Mountain Medicine (DMM), a nationally recognized leader in wilderness medicine education for over 25 years. DMM is a founding member of the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative (WMEC), the organization that establishes standards for wilderness medicine training across the United States. This partnership ensures that our students receive:
- Evidence-based curriculum built on current medical science and best practices
- Industry-recognized certifications accepted by employers, guide services, and outdoor organizations nationwide
- Proven teaching methods developed over decades of wilderness medicine education
- Ongoing curriculum updates reflecting the latest in wilderness and emergency medicine research and practice
By choosing Wilderness First Aid NYC, you're not just getting convenient local training — you're receiving education that meets the highest national standards for wilderness medicine.
Meet the Founder
Ella
Founder & Lead Instructor
I have been an outdoor educator since 2014 in multiple capacities, primarily based out of Leadville, CO. I've worked as a mountaineering and backpacking instructor, staff trainer, and emergency on-call responder for the Colorado Outward Bound School, and as a wilderness medicine instructor for Desert Mountain Medicine. I teach a range of populations, including youth, outdoor professionals, college students, military veterans, and professional groups.
I am guided in my work by my responsibility to my students, their future patients, the next generations, and the lands of the Ute, Canarsie, and Munsee Lenape peoples.
When I moved to Queens, NY in 2020 (life moves in mysterious ways) I was excited to find that New Yorkers get after it! This city is full of climbers, hikers, kayakers, campers, backpackers, skiers, birders, and bikers. However, the Wilderness First Aid and First Responder courses that were everywhere out West were hard to find here.
Why create Wilderness First Aid NYC?
I started Wilderness First Aid NYC to make fundamental wilderness-based first aid skills more accessible to outdoorsy New Yorkers.
In over a decade of leading personal and professional backcountry trips around the world, I have responded to many remote medical incidents and emergencies that inform how I prepare participants for their roles as responsible outdoor recreators, guides, and first responders. I've seen what can go wrong, and I've seen how effective these trainings can be for setting things right, even saving lives. So in these courses we train participants in risk management, preparation and prevention, and incident leadership as much as physiology and basic life support.
At Wilderness First Aid NYC, we believe in teaching that goes beyond memorization, focusing instead on developing critical thinking and decision-making abilities that students can apply in real-world situations. Our courses emphasize respect for our students, for the medical knowledge and skills they're learning, and for the wild places where these skills may one day be needed. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment where students feel empowered to ask questions, practice skills, and build genuine competence.
Everyone is welcome.
— Ella
What We Stand For
Accessibility
Quality wilderness medicine training shouldn't require traveling out of state or taking a week off work. We bring expert instruction to NYC.
Practical Skills
We focus on hands-on, scenario-based learning that builds real competence — not just theoretical knowledge.
Inclusivity
The outdoors is for everyone. Our courses welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, and experience levels.
Safety & Preparedness
We believe in empowering people with knowledge and skills that can save lives, reduce risk, and increase confidence in the backcountry.
Community
We're building a network of prepared, capable outdoor enthusiasts who look out for each other on the trail.
Partnerships
We're proud to be part of New York's thriving outdoor community. Wilderness First Aid NYC partners with local outdoor organizations, climbing gyms, hiking clubs, and adventure groups to make wilderness medicine training more accessible to their employees and members.
We offer group courses for organizations, custom training programs, and can bring wilderness first aid education to your community. Whether you're an outdoor club looking to train your trip leaders, a climbing gym wanting to offer safety courses, or an organization seeking to equip your staff with backcountry medical skills — let's talk: info@wildernessfirstaidnyc.com
