Towards an Ethic of Care

Denise Mitten

Denise Mitten, PhD, is faculty emerita in the Sustainability and Adventure Education graduate programs at Prescott College. Internationally recognized for her innovative scholarship in outdoor and environmental pedagogy, ethics, and gender, she is also a widely experienced adventure guide, from SCUBA to mountaineering. Denise has developed programs to strengthen bonding between parents and children, a leadership program for women felons, nature-based programs for people in recovery, and an award-winning leadership training and apprenticing program for women, opening the door to outdoor leadership to many women. Since the 1970s, she has engaged with eco-feminism and socio-ecological justice, applying trauma-informed leadership in her work with women, including those recovering from abuse—emphasizing social, emotional, and spiritual safety in group dynamics and risk management. Denise has received numerous awards, including the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Justice Award from Ferris State University for her efforts around wellness for underserved groups in western Michigan; the AEE Distinguished Researcher Award for her creative and innovative impacts on research within the experiential education community, including examining ethical development of outdoor leaders, how body image relates to participation in outdoor activities, health benefits of being in nature, and outdoor therapy as complementary medicine; and the AEE Practitioner of the year Award “for her dedication of furthering the field of experiential education through her devotion to teaching, willingness to share, and desire to place participants in control of their own learning. Denise is a mentor to many, a dedicated and active member of AEE, and someone who has the respect of all those who have known her.” She has been a visiting scholar in Australia, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, and various universities in the United States. Along with over 100 articles, Denise’s books include Health and natural landscapes; Experiential education theory and practice; The Palgrave MacMillan international handbook of women and outdoor learning; and Maternal thinking. She serves as Co-chair of the International Association for Adventure & Nature-based Therapy (2025–28).

Access Denise’s publications here .

Tanya Ginwala

Tanya Ginwala is a psychologist, experiential educator, outdoor facilitator, and adventure and nature-based therapist based in Dharamshala, India. Her professional background includes work in substance use rehabilitation, mental health, inclusive adventure sports for persons with disabilities, and nature-based therapy. Through her practice, Qualia, Tanya works with individuals and organisations using somatic, narrative, experiential, and nature-based approaches. Her work explores the relationship between human-planetary health, coexistence, and collective care. She also facilitates learning and reflective spaces for practitioners working at the intersection of mental health, education, and the outdoors. Tanya teaches the Foundations of Adventure and Nature-based Therapy Practice course and contributes to the development of the field through intercultural training and collaboration with international colleagues, while working to develop nature-based approaches that are relevant to the social, cultural, and ecological contexts of India. In 2023, she received the Karl Rohnke Creativity Award from the Association for Experiential Education, USA, for her efforts to adapt adventure and nature-based therapy to the Indian context. She serves as Co-chair of the International Association for Adventure & Nature-based Therapy (2025–28).