About us
Our Mission
To protect the outdoors in the face of climate change by empowering outdoors people to take action.
Who we are
We're a grassroots community of people who love the outdoors from across Australia.
Outdoors Enthusiasts
We're bushwalkers, skiers, snowboarders, climbers, paddlers, mountain bikers, cavers, canyoners, divers, surfers, trail runners and anyone else who enjoys recreation in wild places.
Outdoor Workers
We're also outdoor educators, outdoor instructors, outdoor guides, outdoor trainers, outdoor education teachers, rangers and field officers, conservationists, nature and adventure therapists, scientists and researchers, outdoor equipment retailers, and anyone else who works in or for wild places.
What we do
We're sounding the alarm
Through our website, social media, blog, talks and presentations we're providing information so outdoors people can learn more about climate change and the solutions. Through engaging with media, participating in public consultations and our work with businesses and peak bodies we're sounding the alarm about impacts that affect everyone's ability to get outside and experience thriving natural environments.
We're fostering effective action
Through online actions, communications, and events, we provide inspiration, information, and resources as well as support and community to help people who love the outdoors take action to address climate change and other major environmental issues. We support our community to get politically engaged and employ solutions in their lives, adventures, workplaces and communities.
We're building community
As a grassroots network, we're bringing together outdoors people from across Australia to connect about our concerns and our vision for a better future, and to make change. We're connecting the outdoor community with the wider climate movement.
We're advocating for positive change
The only thing missing in solving the climate crisis is political will. As an organisation and a grassroots community, we're engaging with politicians and other decision makers to call for climate action. We're working within the outdoor sector to support outdoor businesses to take action and employ solutions.
Our Team
Outdoors People for Climate is an entirely volunteer-run organisation. Our volunteers are passionate outdoors people who are committed to supporting positive action in our community.
Our board of directors are Vicki Adams, Kristen Perry and Damon Angelopulo.
We'll have some bios of our team members on our website soon, but in the meantime find some of us here.
9 Principles of OPC
1. We are united by our love of the outdoors.
When we say ‘outdoors people’, we mean anyone who loves the Australian outdoors - our mountains, rivers, islands, and seas. Our group is made up of and represents outdoors people and workers. Our connection to the Australian wilderness is at the centre of who we are.
2. We are deeply concerned by the threat of climate change.
The outdoor places we love are suffering irreparable damage from human-induced climate change. We are personally bearing witness to the destruction of wild places and biodiversity in Australia through bushfire, drought, rising ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, floods, and increasingly severe weather. We are deeply invested in the future of our wilderness, and committed to making real change.
3. We are nonpartisan and endeavour to be effective change-makers.
We support non-violent actions that align with meaningful positive outcomes for people and the planet, creating change in our lives, communities, workplaces, and governments. We support effective action on climate, regardless of its political origins or partisan support. Our group works with individuals, businesses, and decision-makers to drive action in multiple spheres. We believe that arrestable actions can be an important part of the climate movement, however strive to work within existing societal systems, despite their flaws, for the urgent change necessary, whilst championing a better vision for the future. We are reflective, adaptive, open-minded and informed by science.
4. We are working towards authentic environmental stewardship.
As outdoors people, we acknowledge the many direct and indirect impacts that we have on natural environments in both our personal and working lives. We seek to minimise these impacts and participate in actions, such as landcare, to restore damaged and protect vulnerable environments. Effective climate action requires a holistic approach and a greenshift on both the individual and societal level.
5. We act in solidarity with First Nations peoples.
We unreservedly acknowledge the devastating intergenerational climate and social injustice executed upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For multi-thousands of years, First Nations peoples oversaw an overwhelmingly successful regenerative stewardship of the Australian continent. To create a positive and just future for all, we must address pressing social issues including racism, inequality, and poverty. We must call for climate justice to support the people in our local, regional, and global community who are unfairly suffering the worst consequences of the climate crisis.
6. We are inclusive and welcoming.
Anyone who loves the outdoors is welcome here - no matter their level of outdoor experience or how they choose to spend time in nature. We strive for diversity and are inclusive of people from all walks of life, regardless of their age, sex, ethnic origin, background, religion, disability, health, neurodiversity,, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
7. We empower each other with openness and compassion.
We are a grassroots group, seeking to foster leadership, grow as individuals and as a community, and support each other to create positive change. We are driven by our diverse community, and all contributions are welcome and valued. We meet people wherever they are in their climate journey, and wherever they started from, without judgement.
8. We care for ourselves and for others.
The realities of the climate crisis, including the irreversible losses to biodiversity and our wild places, can be deeply confronting for individuals and communities. We prioritise the wellbeing of ourselves, our members, and all people. Whilst being honest about the crisis, we encourage hope, and assert that meaningful change is possible. We also try to have fun!
9. We stand together.
We place great value in connecting with others, both individually and in our local and wider communities. Our group has emerged from within the wider outdoor community in Australia, and we are keen to work with and within this community at all levels. We actively collaborate and align with other environmental, outdoors, and climate groups. We are just one part of the wider climate movement, which is unified in pursuing a safe climate future.
