Outdoor skills education: what are the benefits for health, learning and lifestyle?

A systematic literature review for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (U.S.A.) focused on benefits of outdoor skills education contributions to health, learning, and lifestyle. Thepurposewas to determine the extent to which positive impacts of outdoor skills education and wildlife-related outdoor education were documented with respect to health, lifestyle, and student learning. Results came from review of 100+ documents (from 2000-2010) on adult learning, education, health, leisure, recreation, sport, therapy, and at-risk-youth highlighting evidence of positive contributions of outdoor skills education on hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activity participation. Opportunities offered via outdoor skills education within both natural and social environments illustrate situations in which positive connections can be made with the self, others, and the environment. Outdoor skills activities provide opportunities for the connection of individuals with nature and the outdoors, with social networks, and more importantly, with themselves. Specifically, the benefits lie in the strength and placement of these connections from the leisure context to everyday lives.