Outdoor Health National Symposium

The Outdoor Health National Symposium is an opportunity to engage with and contribute to innovations in outdoor health research and practice. Presentations will span Indigenous health practices, Nature-based health interventions for emerging conditions, and Outdoor health for whole populations. As governments and policy-makers grapple with new challenges, and the Australian community seeks to adapt to new realities, Outdoor Healthcare provides promising cost-effective benefits for our physical, mental, social and cultural health.

 What do we mean by Outdoor Health?

Bush Adventure Therapy is just one of many evidence-informed nature-based health modalities within the emerging national Outdoor Healthcare sector. Others include: adventure therapy, adventure-based therapy, adventure-based counselling, adventure-based youth work, animal-assisted therapy, care farming, ecopsychology, ecotherapy, environmental psychology, equine therapy, forest therapy, green social work, horticultural therapy, Indigenous approaches, nature-based counselling, nature-based expressive arts therapy, nature-based mindfulness, nature based therapy, occupational therapy outdoors, nature prescribing, outdoor counselling, outdoor education interventions, outdoor music therapy, outdoor therapy, rewilding, therapeutic horticulture, walk and talk therapy, and others.

This year's Symposium program aims to showcase diversity and innovation in Outdoor Health research and practice. We invite attendees into a deeply considered program of offerings:

Day One – Grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing, this day will showcase Leadership, Depth and Innovation in Outdoor Health through a series of keynote presentations and Q&A sessions.

Day Two – The second day will help to consolidate our understandings of Outdoor Healthcare practices through a series of concurrent practice-focused sessions. These sessions will span a breadth of outdoor health modalities and drill down to the essential elements of practice within each. The afternoon will provide a place and space for the development of action groups to progress the aspirations of Outdoor Healthcare nationally.

This will count towards 16 hours of Category A CPD.

For more information and to register, please see here.