Introduction

The 8th European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Leaning (EOE) Seminar was held at Trinity College, Carmarthen, Wales 17-20 September 2008. In total 85 delegates attended with 18 European countries represented as well as delegates from the Canada and Australia.  Over 40 presentations / workshops were delivered and four key note speeches. These proceedings include a number of the presentations / workshops and key note speeches from the Seminar. The aims of these proceedings are to reflect the contributions to the Seminar and act as a record of the successful event.

The theme of the Seminar was to address how Outdoor Education and Experiential Learning with young people interfaces with the natural environment. The title for the Seminar and proceedings decided upon by the EOE board is: Landscape, Youth and Outdoor Education: What are we doing? What should we be doing?  The seminar and proceedings therefore provides an insight into how some European practitioners engage with the natural environment as well as contributing to the debate on how we could reframe our future understanding and practice to reflect the current environmental and pedagogical concerns faced by us today and in the future.

The keynote speeches that are outlined in the first chapters represent three key themes suggested by the seminar title: the cultural importance of landscape, aspirations for young people and sustainability and environmental issues.  The first three key notes represent a Welsh context: Efa Griffiths Jones (Chief Executive of Urdd Gobaith Cymru - the largest  voluntary children and young people Youth organisation in Wales) illustrates the importance of linking Welsh culture and language with the Welsh landscape and the role of outdoor education within this context; Dr John Rose outlines an important landmark in the development and recognition of Youth Work in Wales, in discussing the first National Youth Service Strategy for Wales; and Jane Hutt AM (Minister for Children, Education and Life Long Learning) presents an overview of the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to sustainability through educational activities and illustrates the important role outdoor learning plays in fostering this. In addition to the Welsh socio-cultural-political contribution, Dr Robbie Nicol’s address raises key issues for outdoor educators to consider in relation to our current knowledge of environmental and sustainability issues and the role we could / should be playing?

The workshops and presentations illustrate the diverse range of outdoor education and experiential learning practice that is on-going within Europe (and beyond) and how it is contributing to the learning of young people through their relationship to landscape and environment.

Finally, it is hoped this collection of papers can contribute to the trans-national dialogue, understanding and respect for different cultural approaches to outdoor education and its relationship to youth and landscape. These differences are to be celebrated, explored and shared as they embody the diverse traditions and cultures that have developed and flourish in many different European countries and represent an opportunity to develop transformative approaches to working with young people which allow them to better understand the importance of having a relationship with landscape and environment.

Dr Andy Williams and Dr Nichola Tucker-Welton