Outdoor Leader Training

Outdoor Leader Training was established through a collaborative effort by experienced outdoor professionals committed to strengthening capability within the industry. The initiative was created by Mark Mandeno of Adventure Works, Andy Thompson of Adventure Lens NZ, and Joe Keenan, who collectively recognised a need for accessible, practical, and experience-based training resources for outdoor leaders. Drawing on their extensive backgrounds in outdoor leadership, instruction, and content creation, they developed Outdoor Leader Training as a social enterprise. Their shared vision was to support the sector by providing high-quality learning opportunities that build skills, judgement, and confidence for those leading in outdoor environments. By making training resources widely available, they aim to contribute to a safer, more capable, and better-connected outdoor community.