Speaker
Description
In this presentation I report findings from an exploratory qualitative study based on interviews conducted with 7 high-level outdoor athletes. The study is concerned with athlete perceptions of the influence of their involvement in outdoor sport on the development of their ecological consciousness, ecological literacy, sustainable behaviours, and climate activism. While previous research has shown the efficacy of outdoor, experiential, and place-based education in facilitating ecological literacy, ecological consciousness, and climate change awareness (Greenwood, 2013; Hanna, 1995; Khadka et al., 2020), few studies have been conducted with the aim of learning more about the development of this process outside of an educational context, nor in high-level outdoor athletes whose careers often demand spending considerable time in nature settings (Brymer et al., 2009; Maltarich, 2020; Mihala, 2019). This study was designed to contribute in this area, and to support more nuanced understandings of the potential of outdoor sport in facilitating environmental engagement and climate action through the perspectives of these athletes as they reflect on their process of developing environmental consciousness and an environmental activism. Findings suggested that connection to nature through sport may have a profound influence and impact how these athletes conceptualize the environment, climate change, thus guiding their environmental action. This aligns with goals of environmental and sustainability education by providing insight into ways that outdoor sport may present opportunities to engage with nature in a meaningful and sustainable way, while also enabling a deeper understanding of the potential of outdoor sport to motivate individuals to climate action.
