Adventure, Outdoor Education and 'Dwelling Well' – Prof Simon Beames (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by the shift from gyms and indoor exercise to nature-based movement activities, it can be seen as an intensification of a broader trend of a growth of interest in nature-based sports and adventures. Can ‘going back to nature’ help us solve some of the big problems such as alienation, disconnectedness and environmental crisis? How can we dwell well in our places? Or can outdoor activities be just as unsustainable as many other areas of our lifestyles? How and why do outdoor activities have the potential to contribute to authentic living? Simon Beames is Professor of Outdoor Studies at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. Before this, he was at the University of Edinburgh for almost 15 years and still retains a .2 position there. Simon is interested in understanding the role of outdoor activities or frilufstliv in addressing the big questions of our societies: sustainability, health and well-being, and diversity and equality issues. Simon has published five books, including Adventurous Learning and Adventure and Society, which form a basis of discussions in this podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @beamingsimon.