Participants at one of our CPD courses at Plas Coch

CPD for outdoor leaders

Our CPD days are developed specifically for people who work outdoors and in nature, from Mountain Leaders to forest school staff

They’ll equip you and your team with the the skills and knowledge to effectively support your clients, colleagues and volunteers

Whether you want to bring more nature connection to outdoor recreation or educational activities, or to support your clients’ mental health in a dynamic outdoor environment, we’ve got a course for you!

Courses take place in North Wales or on demand elsewhere

Practical Mental Health Skills for Outdoor Leaders

Bringing Nature Connection into Outdoor Leadership

Coming soon: Self-Care for Outdoor Leaders

Coming soon: Welsh Words for Outdoor Leaders

Practical Mental Health Skills for Outdoor Leaders

A pragmatic course for professionals who deliver outdoor recreational activities to a range of client groups. The course blends theory and practice to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to sensitively and professionally support people who experience emotional or mental distress during an outdoor activity. You’ll learn how the brain and nervous system work, and how to use simple calming techniques based on psychological models like Polyvagal Theory.

This course is worth 1 CPD credit for Mountain Training Association (MTA) and Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) members and 1 Core CPD credit for British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) members. It’s suitable if you’re working toward or have qualified as a Lowland Leader, Hill & Moorland Leader, Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, International Mountain Leader, or Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor, or Winter Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor.

On this course, you’ll learn how to:

Identify the signs of emotional and mental distress in the context of an outdoor recreational activity

Develop the skills, knowledge, and attitude needed to support someone who is emotionally distressed, anxious, or experiencing a panic attack

Implement practical and psychological interventions that are appropriate and realistic in a dynamic outdoor environment

Integrate mental health and wellbeing factors into an outdoor activity risk assessment

Promote a positive mental health culture in outdoor recreation and take preventive measures before an activity

Signpost participants to further sources of post-activity assistance

View upcoming dates

What people say about this course

What a brilliant day, so good to turn the tables and be the learner. This is a new CPD course that was being trialled and I was lucky enough to be part of it. Caroline and Mia from Guided by Nature/Dilyn Natur really know their stuff and worked us through some really interesting tools. We learned about the key mental health issues that might present to leaders, about the causes and how the brain reacts to those.

What was really special was developing and working through strategies to support people feeling unwell. As it was a trial we had a really strong group. Given the workshop focussed on common mental health issues and was focussed on working in the outdoors it was far superior and much more useful than the mental health first aid I’ve done so far. The course is suitable for all outdoor leaders and instructors.

Mike Raine, Notes on the Hill

Last Sunday I joined a small group for a Practical Mental Health Skills for Outdoor Leaders workshop hosted by Dilyn Natur Guided by Nature.

Based at the gorgeous Plas Coch Guest House in Llanberis, Mia and Caroline delivered an educational, informative and thought provoking course. We covered the symptoms, causes and some fixes for panic and anxiety whilst in the mountains, both for clients and for ourselves as leaders in the outdoors.

I can highly recommend this course to outdoor leaders. At the moment the RAW Adventures office team are taking it in turns to attend this course. Two of us have already completed the course and another is booked on for later this month (October 2024).

Katie Cannell, Client Care & Event Operations, RAW Adventure s

Bringing Nature Connection into Outdoor Leadership

A CPD course for outdoor leaders and practitioners who provide recreational or knowledge-based activities to diverse client groups. It’s designed to help you understand how nature connection can support your clients’ wellbeing and their overall enjoyment of the day. The course is rooted in an evidence-based approach, which will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to bring accessible elements of nature connection into a range of adventure and outdoor education activities.

Our CPD course includes simple experiential nature connection activities, supported by theory and research. You’ll get to experience these activities on the day, and then we’ll explore how to include such activities into your work. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to confidently create more opportunity for nature connection as a part of a guided activity.

TThis course is worth 1 CPD credit for Mountain Training Association (MTA) and Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) members and 1 Peripheral CPD credit for British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) members. It’s suitable if you’re working toward or have qualified as a Lowland Leader, Hill & Moorland Leader, Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, International Mountain Leader, or Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor, or Winter Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor.

By the end of the day, you will:

Understand what nature connection means, and how it is grounded in eco-psychology and positive psychology

Know the difference between recreational activities outdoors and nature connection activities

Appreciate the theory and evidence that underpins nature connection activities

Describe how nature connection supports personal wellbeing

Understand when it is appropriate to bring intentional nature connection into recreational activities

Develop the skills and knowledge to engage people in simple nature connection activities as part of a outdoor recreation or education

Understand how nature connectedness promotes pro-environmental behaviour

Know where to find further resources and training

View upcoming dates

How can we serve you?

Please tell us how we can help you. We can deliver our existing CPD days exclusively for your organisation or arrange bespoke training in your local area. And if you think there’s another topic we should include in our CPD offer, please let us know!