Acknowledgement of Positionality
As the International Association of Adventure and Nature-Based Therapy (IAANT)  we come together with care, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility. We recognize that the field we are part of is not new, but emerges from age-old relationships between people and the natural world, with attention to the following dynamics.

Honoring Lineages and Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous and place-based peoples across the world have long-standing, reciprocal relationships with land and nature. Their practices of healing, connection, and community are deeply rooted in specific ecologies, histories, and ways of knowing. Much of what is now known as “adventure” or “nature-based” therapy draws inspiration  -directly and indirectly - from these traditions and relationships. We commit to engaging these traditions with humility—not as resources to extract or adapt, but as living systems of knowledge from which we have much to learn, and to which we must be accountable.

Representation and Power
As of June 2025, the current membership of this entity is composed primarily of individuals based across North America, Europe, Australia & New Zealand. We recognize that this means we do not, at present, reflect the richness, perspectives, and knowledges of the Global Majority—that is, the vast and diverse populations of people who live in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Indigenous communities worldwide—who make up 80% of the world population. We acknowledge that this underrepresentation is not incidental or due to a lack of contribution, but the result of historical inequities, systemic barriers and exclusion, and ongoing geopolitical and economic dynamics. In many cases, these contexts (people, places, land, systems) we are now in need of the field and are experiencing disconnection from nature due to the harmful impacts and cascading effects of colonisation, capitalism, post-communism and globalisation.

Justice and Repair
We acknowledge the colonial histories embedded in outdoor, therapeutic, and international work. We strive to ground our efforts in justice, care, and repair—not only in what we do, but in how we do it. We do not make assumptions about countries or regions where adventure and nature-based therapies are not yet formally recognised. The length of time a field has been professionally established says little about the depth or value of local practices. Many currently underrepresented communities hold profound, place-based wisdom and therapeutic traditions that can deeply enrich the global field. Our goal is not to “bring access” to training or accreditation to these regions, but to actively learn from and be shaped by their knowledge systems, practices, and leadership.
We commit to building structures that support mutual learning across cultures, rather than reinforcing hierarchies of expertise.

Plurality Over Professionalization
We resist the push toward a singular, “professionalized” model of adventure or nature-based therapy. We embrace a plurality of approaches, each shaped by distinct cultural, ecological, and historical contexts. We do not aim for a unified voice, but rather a respectful chorus—each voice grounded in its own integrity. We strive to create space for cultural rootedness, plurality, and respectful difference to thrive within our collective efforts.

Naming Appropriation
We recognize that many contemporary adventure and nature-based therapy and mental health practices—particularly in the Global North—draw heavily from traditions such as yoga, mindfulness, and other spiritual and somatic systems rooted in Asian, African and Indigenous lineages. These elements are often adopted without adequate understanding, relationship, acknowledgment or accountability to the communities and ancient indigenous knowledge they originate from. We commit to naming these patterns of appropriation and encouraging members to examine their lineages of influence, seek consent where appropriate, and engage in practices of respect, credit, and repair.

Practicing Ongoing Reflexivity
We commit to examining how our own social, cultural, and political positioning shapes the ways we practice, relate, and lead. Acknowledging these positions is important as it will affect both the wider issues on who in the community is valued and included. Also addressing the impacts of perpetual microaggressions to uphold a trauma-informed approach in creating spaces for dialogue. This includes being attentive to power dynamics within our association and field, and continually asking: Who is being centered? Who is being left out? And why? How do we respond relationally and ethically?

This positioning statement is a starting point, not an endpoint. We understand that clarity and accountability emerge through time, relationship, and reflection. Learning from many global perspectives benefits our understanding as an association and we acknowledge that it is our responsibility as individuals, professionals, IAANT as a field to take on the work to prevent the perpetuation of current oppressive systems. We therefore take on the ongoing responsibility to create a space to welcome feedback, challenge, and dialogue as necessary parts of building a field—and an association—rooted in integrity.