Nourishing terrains: Women's contributions to outdoor learning environments

Abstract

This introductory chapter outlines the initial impetus for the Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Outdoor Learning, along with our quest to be proactive in pursuit of social change and equity. The authors recount a personal and historical perspective about the cultural and structural identity of women in outdoor learning, providing a snapshot of inroads made in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s towards gender equality. Recent advancements appear to have stalled or are becoming increasingly indiscernible or covert. The chapter's through line is an exploration of the profession's implicit prejudices and unconscious bias outlining the way women experience gender asymmetry in myriad ways. Re-storying our future from the margins to mainstream offers a critical shift of gender and feminism within (and beyond) the white male academy.