Well, I decided to pop in to see if there had been any changes on that BzzAgent thing; basically I want to see what’s actually involved in a campaign before I pass judgement on the whole thing. You know – form an opinion after I’ve tried something. I didn’t know that jellyfish could be tasty until I tried it, and I wouldn’t dream of saying it wasn’t before trying it.

So, finally I see a campaign come up that I can check out from the inside.

Don’t you love the outdoors? Wouldn’t you – or someone you know – be interested in joining one of the world’s finest outdoor education programs? The National Outdoor Leadership School is the world-famous outdoor adventure school founded in 1965.

NOLS has been the premiere nonprofit outdoor experience and leadership school for nearly 40 years. Paul Petzoldt, a mountaineer and a visionary leader, established NOLS to nurture and train the next generation of leaders and outdoor enthusiasts. Ever since, NOLS has provided tens of thousands of people with a solid foundation in leadership skills, wilderness know-how and environmental awareness.

NOLS offers a wide range of programs, each equally as fascinating as their wilderness locations. You can backpack in the Yukon Territory or learn to sea kayak in the Pacific Northwest. You can practice mountaineering in Patagonia or go coastal sailing in New Zealand. From rock climbing to ice climbing, snowboarding to caving, it’s hard to beat the thrill of a NOLS program!

And while you’re experiencing the adventure of a lifetime, you’ll also learn important wilderness skills such as first aid, nutrition, and environmental preservation. NOLS has been instrumental in developing and promoting the “Leave No Trace” philosophy of respect for the outdoors. Everyone who is interested in developing leadership and outdoor skills should know about the programs at NOLS!

It appears that this is one of those leadership programs not unlike one they made us do in college; you have 3 pieces of spaghetti, a bag of marbles, and half of a steak sandwich that you can use in order to get your team across the quicksand. What will you do?

I signed up for this campaign, and find out that the NOLS “veggie-bus” is touring the continent…

NOLS is on the road… and coming to a town near you! Now there’s a new way to experience our educational program of outdoor skills, leadership and environmental awareness.

Powered by used vegetable oil, solar power, and sponsored by Silk™, the makers of organic soymilk, this educational program on wheels provides an active, environmentally conscious way to learn about the outdoors and celebrate leadership in your community.

Just chock full of hippie goodness, you can just smell the patchouli, can’t you? I mean, one of the primary marketing reps for the bus is named “Winter” – a short trip to “Starshine Rainbow”.

There’s an upcoming event in Chicago that they’re recruiting volunteer Agents to assist with, but I’m nowhere near Chicago so I can’t go down to watch the agents in action. I’d be interested in seeing photos of these guys in action or hearing about how they behave, etc.

What’s going on: The NOLS Bus, powered by used vegetable oil and solar power, will be on the show floor at the Chicago Travel Show promoting our educational programs. The bus features a climbing wall, speleotour, first aid demos, fly fishing, and NOLS movies.

What you’ll do: You’ll “hike” the show floor decked out in a special NOLS Street Team t-shirt, NOLS wind pants, gaiters and NOLS backpack. You’ll be wearing NOLS “flair”, too-buttons designed especially for the Chicago show. As you cruise the show floor you’ll distibute handbills pointing people to the NOLS bus.

What you’ll get:

• Free admission to the show. A $10 value! Visit more than 600 exhibitors from 78 countries.


• Free NOLS Street Team t-shirt.


• Free “flair”.


• Free NOLS stickers, posters and all the other free stuff available at the NOLS bus.


• The warm feeling that comes with helping introduce people to the non-profit NOLS.


• Free NOLS windpants or free Outdoor Research gaiters.

When: Saturday, January 22, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sunday, January 23, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. You’ll need to volunteer for a minimum of 2 hours to get the free stuff.

Where: McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois.

There’s some sort of “campaign kit” that they promise to get to me in the next 21 days, but they didn’t ask my t-shirt size, so I can only imagine what I’ll see out of that. If there’s anything of note in the package, I’ll likely just offer it up for giveaway here.