Who is Involved?
Everyone who is interested
The Collective spans education, health, environment, justice, research, community and social health, and youth and human development. Our collaborators are practitioners, providers, educators, hapū and iwi, researchers, kaupapa Māori kaimahi, policy makers and volunteers. Over 55- people across the motu are already connected to this kaupapa.
EDUCATION: Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Community/On-going Education, Nature/Bush Schools
HEALTH: Public Health (Whole Population Approach), Mental Health, Outdoor Therapeutic Approaches, Primary Health, Disability
ENVIRONMENT: Environmental Care, Recreating Outside, Engagement in Nature Spaces, Climate and Health
JUSTICE
RESEARCH
COMMUNITY SOCIAL HEALTH: Iwi/Hapū, Religious Organisations, Grass Roots community volunteer organisations
YOUTH/HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Funding and Administration Partners
Sport New Zealand
Sport New Zealand and the Active Recreation Team are the main funders of this project. We acknowledge the amazing opportunity that we have with this Strategic Investment from Sport New Zealand.
Ella Creagh represents Sport New Zealand’s interests and priorities, ensuring the project is tracking to meet the needs and goals of Sport NZ and this particular investment. He can also help link us to other resources and people who may be able to support the project.
Adventure Therapy Aotearoa
Auckland University of Technology
Auckland University of Technology (AUT) have come on board as a collaborating organization. They will support this project with time from Charlotte Jelleyman in a research capacity within her role as a Senior Lecturer at AUT in the Outdoor Learning Space. Charlotte will contribute to the project and in particular the literature reviews, desk research, supporting the theme identification in the regional hui and surveys.
Adventure Therapy Aotearoa (ĀTA) is the networking association for those practitioners using adventure, nature or experiential based therapeutic interventions in Aotearoa New Zealand. ĀTA is membership based association, the members come from a wide range of professions who all use, or are interested in using adventure therapy approaches in their mahi.
This project has been born out of the strategic vision that ĀTA has to see Outdoor Therapeutic Approaches a mainstream option for health care in Aotearoa New Zealand. ĀTA applied for the funds for this project and is the fund holder, ultimately responsible for ensuring that this project achieves its mission.
The ĀTA Leadership Group will support this on-going project. ĀTA applied for this investment and holds the funds. The relationship between ĀTA and Te Ara Oranga Taiao once the Collective is established is a question ĀTA will work through with its own membership during 2027.
The Core Operational Team
Leadership is crucial to the success of the Te Ara Oranga Taiao project, both for the end result to be achieved and for the day-to-day work to maintain momentum. ĀTA have engaged some contractors that make up the Core Operational Team. The core of the team are Amy Horn, Taina McClutchie and Kelly O’Hagan, along with Charlotte Jelleyman from AUT.
Project Lead: Amy Horn
Coordinating the development and implementation of the project work plan.
Ko wai au?
Nō Ingarangi nō Airangi ōku tīpuna
I tipu ake au ki Kirikiriroa,
Ko Ōtautahi tōku kainga iānainei.
Ko Amy Horn tōku ingoa.
Tēnā koutou, I have been involved with the Adventure Therapy field of practice since I began in 2003 as an outdoor instructor. The majority of the work I have done as an outdoor instructor has been developmental and therapeutic programmes. In 2014 I started working at Adventure Specialties Trust with the purpose to develop Adventure Therapy (AT) programming and also to support the development of AT in Aotearoa New Zealand. Along the way I also completed a Masters in Counselling. I have had the privilege of being involved with ĀTA from the beginning, and also the last 11 years connected with the International Community of Adventure and Nature-based Therapies.
Lead Pou Whirinaki: Taina McClutchie
Leading the project and the team to lean into a Tiriti-led worldview.
Ko wai au?
E pōkarekare ana ngā wai o Waiapu.
Ka hiki whakarunga ki tōku maunga ko Hikurangi.
Kei reira wōku tīpuna e tū mārohirohi ai e mātaiho ana mai ki runga i a mātau ngā uri o Ngati Porou.
Nō Te Tairāwhiti whānui awau..
Ko Taina McClutchie taku ingoa.
I’m a Māori practitioner based in Tairāwhiti, working alongside rangatahi to support their reconnection to education, identity, and wellbeing through Te Taiao and Mātauranga Māori. I was born in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) and raised within the nurturing framework of Te Aho Matua, grounded in the values and teachings of Mātauranga Māori. My whānau come from Manutūkē, Te Māhia, Ruatōrea and Te Araroa, places of deep ancestral connection and natural beauty where my love for the outdoors was nurtured and continues to shape and sustain my practice.
I have a deep belief in the healing potential of nature, and I weave pūrākau, mahi toi and whakawhanaungatanga into my everyday practice.
I currently serve as Chair of ĀTA, Adventure Therapy Aotearoa and am passionate about supporting its bicultural journey and collective kaupapa.
Research Consultant: Charlotte Jelleyman
Contributing to the project with research aims and objectives on behalf of AUT.
Charlotte is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Leadership and Outdoor Learning at AUT. She grew up on the southwest coast of the UK, where time in nature, movement, and mindfulness were part of everyday life, and she now weaves those foundations into her teaching and research in Aotearoa.
Her passion lies in introducing people to te taiao in ways that spark lasting connections, confidence, and joy. Alongside her love of surfing, tramping, and sea kayaking, she has developed expertise in Compassionate Communication (NVC) and is currently a certification candidate.
Charlotte has led collaborative research projects with organisations such as Hillary Outdoors, Te Papa Atawhai, and Sport Auckland, and she is excited to bring her skills and enthusiasm to this project with ĀTA.
Project Admin: Kelly O’Hagan
Coordinating the bookings, logistics, and details of the project!
Kia ora koutou,
My name is Kelly O’Hagan, I am Australian. I am a social worker. I am a foster carer. I came to Aotearoa to go kayaking at about 8 years ago and I have stayed. I am still not used to the cold weather. I have been working in the Adventure Therapy field of practice for over 10 years in many different organisations and programs. I enjoy
connecting with young people who have challenging lives and journeying alongside them. I recently embarked on the biggest adventure of my life, becoming a foster carer. It has taught me so much and I am learning every day, it has been a roller coaster. I enjoy being in te taiao in all sorted of different ways from canoeing and community tree
planting days :) I am also the international representative for Aotearoa with the International Association for Adventure and Nature-based Therapies (IAANT). I am looking forward to being a part of this project, I am excited about where it could go. I look forward to connecting with people along this journey. Please get in touch if you have any questions or if you want to chat.