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Outdoor Research Collaborative

The Outdoor Research Collaborative for Health, Wellbeing and Experiential Engagement (ORC) was created in order to expand and include diverse uses of the outdoors and experiential practice which are not limited to adventure therapy.

The Collaborative is a group of researchers and practitioners who transparently support and facilitate research and disseminate findings on experiential and outdoor interventions in diverse settings across the continuum of behavioral healthcare to improve the quality of life for children, adolescents and adults. The Collaborative aims to support and implement practices designed to elevate accessibility, inclusion and belonging.

Star filled sky in the shadow of the Corona Arch, also known as Little Rainbow Bridge, near Moab, Utah.

The Collaborative Seeks

To examine key issues in the field of outdoor health by identifying important research topics, participants, and funding sources to advance practice.

The Collaborative Engages

In values-aligned partnership opportunities and relationship-building that aims to increase the Collaborative’s impact and reach.

Green forest.
Sunset over pond in Vermont.

The Collaborative Is Driven

By the core values and is committed to a collaborative approach that fosters diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Values

The Collaborative engages in values-aligned partnership opportunities and relationship-building that increase the Collaborative’s impact and reach.

Collaborators

The Collaborative was created to expand and include researchers and practitioners with diverse areas of focus within outdoor and experiential practice.

Communities

The ORC Collaborators are active in 12 overlapping areas of practice and research which we call Communities of Practice and Research.