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The 2023 Outsider Awards Reflections

The 2023 Outsider Awards Reflections

The dust is just beginning to settle after the #OutsiderAwards on Wednesday 21st of February. It was a night of inspiration, emotions, and so much love for all that our incredible island gives us. Thank you to Dr. Karen Weeks who was a fantastic host for the awards and kept us smiling throughout!

I think one of our big takeaways from the awards is how powerful it can be to have people gathered together. Everyone who was there all love the same things – be it surfing, or mountaineering, or bringing people on guided boat tours, we have all found our home in the outdoors.

 Nights like this are important to recognise what everyone has achieved, but also provide the really important space for the sharing of experience, and through that knowledge. The connections that were made between passing jokes and wishes of good luck are going to spark so many important outdoor moments throughout 2024. Thank you to Outsider for inviting and facilitating these moments! 

 

The Leave No Trace Panel

Thank you to our panelists, who were all fantastic at sharing how #LeaveNoTrace ties into so many different aspects of what we do – whether it’s outdoor education, community conservation, or facilitating. Our panelists were:

 

Emma O’ Hagan (@emmas_footprints) is the Rural Recreational Officer for Leitrim, and is organising Ireland’s first National Trail Conference! An outdoor adventure group host and content creator, Emma brings her multiple disciplines together to advocate for and promote the benefits of the outdoors for our mental health. Emma brings such a unique perspective to conversations as someone who’s involved in different aspects of Ireland’s outdoor industry!

Martha Farrell is a founding member and a director of Maharees Conservation Association CLG – an award-winning, community and volunteer-led registered charity which was set up to protect the Maharees tombolo on the Dingle Peninsula. It is now a recognised exemplar in community-led climate adaptation and successful community-deployment of nature-based solutions.

Gavin Beetlestone has been delivering educational experiences for Leave No Trace as part of his career in Outdoor Education for more than ten years. He has delivered training across 3 continents at varying levels for schools, corporates and trainers. It’s Gavin’s drive for creating impactful learning experiences that makes Gavin such a fantastic speaker at such events.

Ellie Berry (of Tough Soles) was nominated for Outsiders Woman of the Year award 2023! Her record-breaking round of the Vandeleur-Lynams saw her climb 275 mountains in under 51 days, taking almost 6 days off the previous record. Ellie’s passion for the outdoors and her love of Ireland’s wild corners had us bouncing in our seats in anticipation for this panel discussion!

The winners of the awards are: 

 

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