As outdoor leaders, you know the power of nature to inspire awe and wonder. If you've been looking for ways to create deeper, more immersive experiences for your clients, this CPD course is designed for you. Rooted in an evidence-based approach, it gives you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to bring accessible elements of nature connection into a range of outdoor activities. You'll finish the day feeling confident in bringing nature connection into your work, ready to apply the techniques right away.

Participants consistently praise this course for its strong blend of practical learning outdoors and clear, evidence-based content. They value the supportive facilitation style, which creates a comfortable space for sharing, allowing them to deepen their own connection with nature and find fresh inspiration for their work.

Who’s the course for?

Bringing Nature Connection into Outdoor Leadership is designed for all outdoor leaders who want to help people experience a deeper nature connection during recreational or educational activities.

It offers insights regardless of your experience level. If you're new to the concept of nature connection, the course will give you a solid foundation to work from. If you already integrate it into your work, you'll gain theoretical grounding, hone your skills, and expand your techniques.

The course confers 1 CPD credit for current members of  the Mountain Training Association (MTA), Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) and BAIML (BAIML Peripheral). It's suitable if you're working toward or have qualified as a Lowland Leader, Hill & Moorland Leader, Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, International Mountain Leader, Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor or Winter Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor. 

If you have additional learning needs or accessibility requirements, please let us know in confidence when you book via our secure website.

What can I expect from this course?

We begin the day with a focused theory session to lay the foundations, examining the evidence base for nature connection and exploring key concepts from eco-psychology and positive psychology. We then delve into what nature connection is - and isn't - including how the experience varies from person to person, and introduce the Five Pathways model.

After this, we move outside for the hands-on, practical part of the day. The majority of our time is spent in and with nature, trying things out and sharing insights. We start with a Nature-Based Mindfulness activity, which you’ll experience first and then practice in small groups.

We then take a deep dive into each of the Five Pathways, examining their foundations and discussing how to put them into practice. You'll have ample opportunity to experience and discuss activities, giving you the confidence to integrate them into your work right away.

The day concludes with a round table discussion on when and how to integrate intentional nature connection into the activities you lead. We’ll take plenty of short breaks to help you feel relaxed and present throughout the day, and you'll leave with knowledge and techniques tailored to your work.

Will I get a handout?

To ensure you can apply your knowledge after the workshop, you’ll receive three key digital resources:

• Full course slide deck: A complete reference for reviewing the theory covered on the course.
• Activity guide and reading list: A handy reference guide to activities for each pathway, and an extensive further reading list.
• Ready-to-use grounding scripts and prompts: Simple activities that you can put to immediate use with groups.

Learning outcomes

On this day-long course, you’ll learn to:

• Appreciate the theoretical foundations of nature connection, drawing on frameworks like eco-psychology and positive psychology.
• Understand and apply the distinction between nature contact and nature connection to your practice.
• Integrate hands-on, practical ways to bring nature connection into a day outdoors, whether in bite-sized instalments or more substantive activities.
• Guide a simple Nature-Based Mindfulness activity with groups.
• Determine when it’s appropriate to bring intentional nature connection into recreational activities.
• Use the power of stories and emotions to engage your participants with nature.
• Recognise how nature connection supports human and planetary wellbeing, and how it promotes pro-environmental behaviour.
• Locate further resources and training for continued professional development.

What makes this course unique?

This training is designed as a specialist complement to general training in group management for outdoor leaders. It aims to give you hands-on skills that you can deploy right away.

The specialised curriculum has three key strengths:

• Evidence-based: The course is built around the Five Pathways Model developed by Professor Miles Richardson at Derby University. This grounds your learning in a validated framework that’s supported by ongoing research.
• Practical application: Mia actively curates the list of nature-connection activities that she’ll share with you, drawing on her professional practice and her training as a NatureWell Facilitator with Natural Academy.
• Collaboration: As a group, we’ll share ideas and work together to adapt activities for your specific professional context.

What to bring

Our day will be a mix of theory, practice and reflective discussions. We’ll spend most of our time outside. Please bring a water bottle, thermos, packed lunch, snacks, lots of warm layers, full waterproofs, sit mat, pen, and notepad. You'll be able to purchase warm beverages at the start and end of the day.

CPD points & booking

This course confers 1 CPD credit for  members of MTA, AMI and BAIML (BAIML Peripheral). Please have your membership number to hand when you book, and make sure your membership is current.

What happens after the event

If you attend this event and it counts as CPD, your CPD point(s) will automatically be added to your record in due course. You will not need to add it yourself. Please allow up to 2 weeks for us to complete the event in the system and assign your CPD point(s). Thank you & diolch.