Outdoors Victoria held its annual conference on 23/24 July at Victoria University in Melbourne. OHA EO Tony Varcoe attended, joined by 200 students, practitioners, policy-makers, researchers and others. The program included a keynote address from Prof. Dianne Vella-Brodrick (Centre for Wellbeing Science, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne) on the wellbeing benefits of nature connection. … Read more
OHA (including its work as AABAT) has long held awareness and activities related to interconnected health and systemic crises and relationship to health and wellbeing, including Support Resources generated in response to COVID19, research and practice considerations around Climate and Polycrisis realities. The recent arrival of the H5N1 bird influenza to the Australian mainland has … Read more
These are just some of the wonderful training opportunities that exist in Outdoor Health. If you would like to share your training option please email [email protected] to find out more. International Training: Adventure & Nature-based Therapy Practice: An immersive online and in-person learning journey in the Himalayan foothills (India) | Oct–Dec 2026 (https://www.qualiaoutdoortherapy.in/ ) Do … Read more
The Australian Adventure Activity Standards (AAAS) provide national standards and good-practice guidance for the safe delivery of outdoor and adventure-based activities. They include risk-based standards for planning, leadership and participant care as well as activity-specific Good Practice Guides. While not mandatory, they do carry real-world weight as many land managers require service providers to demonstrate … Read more
The Victorian Department of Health Child Safe Standards Self-Assessment Tool, provides organisations with a practical way to review their current practices and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Outdoor Health Australia (OHA) strongly supports practices that centre child safety. This commitment is reflected in the OHA Quality Framework: Ethical Principles and Practice Standards, which includes a … Read more
Stride Outside campaign This September, OHA is supporting the Stride Outside campaign to get more people outside for better mental health. Led by Stride, one of Australia’s largest mental health organisations, the campaign is a free and inclusive challenge to spend 30 minutes outdoors every day for 30 days. This might include spending a daily … Read more
Thanks to Kelly Stork, Adapt NSW for sharing this resource with OHA and our community. As our climate continues to change, supporting young people to build climate literacy, resilience and wellbeing is increasingly important. AdaptNSW has developed A Climate of Change, a free suite of educational resources designed for young people aged 15–17. A Climate … Read more
Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to OHA, having attended my first forum in 2024, and I feel like I’ve found my tribe. I’m excited to be a new member of the Research and Evidence team and to contribute to the OHA community. I have a Master of Play Therapy, which I’ve used to develop an … Read more
Rachel joins OHA as the Queensland Rep. Rachel lives and works in Meanjin (Brisbane). She graduated as a Social Worker in 1992, and since then has developed extensive experience working with children and young people in the Child Protection, Out of Home Care and disability spaces. She has worked in both frontline and leadership roles … Read more
OHA Annual General Meeting May 13 2026 Outdoor Health Australia community and membership gathered online on May 13th for the 2026 Annual General Meeting, providing an opportunity to reflect on a significant year, acknowledge the many people contributing to OHA, and look ahead to the organisation’s next chapter. The meeting opened with an Acknowledgement of … Read more
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Aboriginal and Indigenous ways of knowing and being provides insights into the timeless wisdom of Indigenous health practices, and deepens our understanding of how nature connects, bonds, and grows us. We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the lands now called Australia and acknowledge Traditional Custodians, Elders, and Peoples of the Countries in which we live, learn and work.
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