Join us in Ireland for 11IAANTC - April 2028!

Every three years, practitioners, researchers, educators, and community leaders from around the world gather to explore the transformative potential of adventure and the natural world in therapeutic practice. Rooted in diverse traditions and informed by evolving research, this conference is a space where experience meets evidence, and where the wisdom of land, culture, and community informs our shared work in this ever evolving community.

Each International Adventure and Nature-based Therapies Conference (IAANTC) offers a vital opportunity to pause, reflect, and look forward together. During IAANTC, delegates share emerging research, innovative practices, ethical considerations, and stories from the field. As a collective, we examine how our work responds to global challenges—mental health crises, climate change, social inequity—and consider how adventure and nature-based therapies can contribute to more just, sustainable, and connected communities.

Most importantly, this conference is about relationships with one another, with the land that hosts us, and with the people and communities we serve. As we exchange ideas and deepen our practice, may we also cultivate curiosity, humility, and courage.

As the global need for nature-based health, wellbeing, and healing practices grows, this conference serves as a vital platform to address the rising challenges of physical, mental, and social ill-health. With climate change and biodiversity loss exacerbating mental health issues like eco-anxiety and displacement, the conference will highlight how adventure and nature-based therapies foster resilience, emotional regulation, and psychological wellbeing. These practices offer a profound antidote to the mental health distress caused by our rapidly changing world.

The conference will also embody IAANT’s commitment to deepening the connection between people and nature, promoting the wellbeing of humans, all beings, and the planet. Guided by principles of justice, repair, and plurality, the event will celebrate the rich traditions and knowledge systems that inspire this field, while fostering collaboration and mutual learning across cultures.

The International Association for Adventure and Nature-Based Therapies is thrilled to announce its next global conference, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Kerry, Ireland, in April 2028. This event will bring together practitioners, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the world to connect, share, learn and explore together the transformative power of nature-based therapies. Known previously as the International Adventure Therapy Conference (IATC), recent past conferences were held at Denver (7IATC), Sydney (8IATC), Norway (9IATC) and most recently, Taiwan (10IATC).

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Ireland is led by Jasmin & Philip Stallard of New Wave Wild Project, and  comprised of key stakeholders in practice, services, and research in Ireland, with strong backing from Failte Ireland, the Kerry Convention Bureau, and Tralee Chamber Alliance, the conference will be based at Munster Technological University (MTU), Kerry North Campus. 

Attendees can expect a dynamic program of keynote speeches, interactive workshops, and immersive outdoor experiences that honor the diverse cultural and ecological contexts of nature-based therapies and the stunning local environment that Kerry, Ireland has to offer.  

Join us in April 2028 to be part of this global movement, as we unite to advance innovative, inclusive, and sustainable approaches to health and healing through nature. Together, we can shape a future where the wellbeing of people and the planet go hand in hand.

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Like all areas of IAANT we have an international working group of volunteers to support the local organizing committee. The Conference Working Group helps to map the core values and key aspects of IAANT and works to provide guidance to the LOC in the host country.  If you’re passionate about adventure and nature-based therapies—and excited about helping to run an event of this scale—this is your chance to get involved.

The commitment involves meetings every 6-8 weeks over the next two years. If you’re interested in joining and contributing your energy and expertise, please contact Jasmin Stallard jasmin@newwavewildproject.ie for more details. Let’s work together to make the 11th International Adventure Therapy Conference truly unforgettable!