Outdoor Health: Caring for People and Planet

Anita Pryor has devoted over 30 years to Bush Adventure Therapy and nature¿based healing practices worldwide. Her early work as a river and mountain guide and outdoor experiential educator laid foundations for a career in adventure therapy, research and policy. As codirector of Adventure Works Australia, a non¿profit outdoor health provider, she works alongside Aboriginal mentors and friends to support quality outdoor therapy practice, training and research, reflecting a lifelong commitment to the wellbeing of people and planet.

Tonia Gray is a Senior Researcher at Western Sydney University with more than 40 years in education and teacher training. Her transdisciplinary research examines human¿nature relationships, outdoor learning, wellbeing, gender leadership, and climate justice. Former Chair of the Australian Tertiary Outdoor Educators Network and cöeditor of the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Tonia’s awards include the Australian Award for University Teaching (2014) and the Association of Experiential Education’s Distinguished Researcher of the Year (2019).

Cathryn Carpenter's employment in the outdoor health sector spans more than 45 years. Primarily an outdoor educator, tour guide, or University academic; she has contributed research and publications focusing on human and environmental health and wellbeing, while also providing leadership and coordination in the development of adventure therapy in Australia and internationally. Cathryn has recently retired and is enjoying more time in the outdoors and volunteering with a range of cultural and environmentally focused community-based initiatives.

Pauline Marsh is a health geographer and senior lecturer in dementia studies whose research explores community¿ and nature¿based approaches to wellbeing. Her expertise spans end¿of¿life care, therapeutic landscapes, inclusivity, ageing, dementia, film theory and community development. She co-leads the Nature Connection Storytelling Project and Venture Out Nature and Dementia research groups at UTAS.

Andrea Dickmeyer is a Clinical Psychologist focused on integrating nature connection, physical activity, and mental health in practice and research. She is completing a PhD in Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She studied Psychology and Philosophy in the US and received a 2019 Watson Fellowship to explore cultural connections with nature for mental health. She has worked across inpatient, community, wilderness therapy, and private practice settings.

Ben Knowles has worked with people in the outdoors for nearly three decades. Trained in education, outdoor education, experiential learning and narrative therapy, he lives on Bpangerang and Taungurung Lands in Northeast Victoria. His PhD examines ethics in outdoor health practices. He helped found the Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy and supported its transition to Outdoor Health Australia (OHA). He codirects Adventure Works Australia, sits on the OHA board, and co-convenes Ethical Practice & Quality for the International Association for Adventure & Nature based Therapies.

Jacob Prehn is Worimi (Aboriginal Australian) and an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Tasmania. Jacob’s outdoor health research examines Indigenous people’s experiences of nature and wellbeing. His scholarship primarily focuses on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous masculinities, men’s health, and fatherhood. Jacob’s previous work includes Aboriginal Social Work Voices (2026).