Georgetown got an environmentally friendly visit this Tuesday when the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Eco-Action bus parked on 37th for most of the day.
The bus, which runs on peanut oil and solar power, is “definitely a marketing tool for us,” according to Zandy Smith, a NOLS marketing representative who travels around the country recruiting students to participate in NOLS’ wilderness courses. “The only marketing the school has done for 40 years is this bus.”
“We’ve hit 42 states now, and we’re about to knock off most of the rest of them,” Alex Schirer, another marketing representative said.
At the Georgetown stop, Smith, Schirer and Amy Rathke, the third member of the bus crew, handed out stickers and catalogues and chatted with students outside the bus. Inside, they had plenty of photographs of enthusiastic past participants to encourage people to sign up for an application.
Traffic was slow at around 2 p.m., which Smith attributed to the fact that the NOLS crew could not get inside the gates.
“It’s been difficult because we can’t really get into campus,” Smith admitted. “It’s been a little challenging.”
One curious student did stop to ask about the mechanics of the bus’ engine, which has a 90-gallon vegetable oil tank and a 100-gallon diesel tank.
Smith and Schirer got involved in NOLS, which is based in Lander, Wyo., in very different ways, but both started out taking courses and are now instructors at the school.
“Actually, my mother took a course in 1971, which was not that long after the school was started,” Smith said.
Schirer’s path to NOLS does not reach back as far, but he still has a great appreciation for the school.
“I was thinking about studying abroad for a semester, but I ended up hearing about NOLS and deciding to do that instead, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said.
NOLS runs courses in several locations throughout the United States and the world, including Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, Mexico, Australia and India. Courses are offered in mountaineering, rock climbing, sea kayaking, canoeing, sailing, skiing and snowboarding. College students can receive college credit for participating in a semester-long wilderness education course, and about 75 percent of college students who participate in courses get credit for their experiences.
Although their bus is definitely healthy, the NOLS crew is not above having fun once in a while.
“It’s one of those things where we try to be healthy, but we’re definitely not sitting around all the time eating organic food,” Smith said. “We like to go out and drink and all that.”
On Tuesday, bluegrass music was playing on the bus, which Smith says is pretty representative of the group’s usual soundtrack.
“I would definitely say we listen to bluegrass and folk music,” she said. “Jam bands, Widespread Panic and stuff like that. It’s definitely an eclectic mix. Music is definitely very important when you’re on the road.”
Even with the partying and music, the NOLS bus is not exactly an eco-friendly Road Rules. While the three representatives do spend most of their time together, they do not sleep on the bus.
“We don’t live on the bus,” Smith said. “I mean, we all love each other, but it might be a little much.”
