Leaders In Outdoor Recreation Celebrated Through Award Honours

Recreation Aotearoa are pleased to announce the four recipients of the 2021 Outdoor Awards.

The Outdoor Awards celebrate and recognise individuals and organisations that have been successful in significantly improving outdoor recreation outcomes for participants and clients.

Recreation Aotearoa CEO, Andrew Leslie, said, “the outdoors is proven to be beneficial to our mental health and wellbeing, and getting involved in outdoor and adventure activities is core to how New Zealanders spend their recreation time.”

“We are fortunate to have many outstanding outdoor activity programmes and operators, all working hard to provide diverse and accessible outdoor opportunities. It’s important for us to recognise these efforts and celebrate the benefits that come with them.”

Outward Bound’s Regional Schools ‘Mind Body Soul’ programme took away Whakaaweawe Kaupapa, the Outstanding Event/Programme Award.

Based at Outward Bound’s Anakiwa school in the Marlborough Sounds, the Mind Body Soul course is a fully funded 21-day residential programme for rangatahi from low decile schools. Working with rangatahi, schools, whānau, and community groups, the programme comprises of 105 schools from 13 different regions. Mind Body Soul has become a valuable opportunity for hard-to-reach communities to empower their rangatahi and inspire leadership.

Whaiao Māori, the Māori Outcomes Award has been awarded to Te Awanui a Rua. A Māori charitable trust in Taumarunui, Te Awanui a Rua provide marae based wānanga for schools and the wider community, with a strong focus in providing mentoring, education, and career pathways within the outdoors. Part of their work also includes acting as kaitiaki and sharing knowledge around care for the environment as well as facilitating community events that seek to protect and enhance their whanaungatanga.

Discover Waitomo is the 2021 recipient of Tiakina Taiao, the Environmental Leadership Award. Operators and kaitiaki of the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Ruakuri Cave, and Aranui Cave, they have adopted a future-fit operational model which encompasses break-even goals and benchmarks for a sustainable future in the areas of energy, water, natural resources, pollution, physical presence, people, and drivers.

With an environmental team on hand, climate monitoring systems within the caves, and environmental education programmes, Discover Waitomo have taken big steps to understand their own footprint and realise their ecological goals.

The final award, Manu Kura, the Supreme Award, is given to an individual with mana and outstanding leadership in the outdoor sector. The 2021 recipient is Rachael Moore.

Moore has been a leader within the outdoor recreation sector for 30 years and has been a significant advocate for the outdoors through her work with organisations like Hillary Outdoors, Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) and the Department of Conservation (DOC). She has helped lead the charge on developing and establishing ground-breaking resources and safety guidelines for the adventure activities sector.

Moore said, “receiving the Manu Kura award means a great deal to me, thank you! I’m very proud to be part of our outdoor recreation sector. It’s a privilege to work and play with so many fantastic people who truly champion Papatūānku, who live life to the full and who strive to connect others with our outdoor places.”.

The awards, sponsored by DOC, NZ Alpine Club, YMCA, NZ Mountain Safety Council, and Skills Active Aotearoa, were due to be presented at an awards night in Nelson this month. But due to COVID-19 restrictions the ceremony has been postponed and will be delivered later in the year.

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