Whenua Iti Outdoors’ founder, Hazel Nash, was awarded the prestigious ‘Te Tohu Manu Kura – Supreme Award’ at the Recreation Aotearoa Te Whai Oranga Outdoors & Recreation Awards event held last night in Auckland.
The award recognises Hazel’s exceptional contribution to outdoor education, environmental stewardship, and her tireless advocacy for the wellbeing of rangatahi (youth) across Aotearoa. For more than 35 years, Hazel has been integral part of Whenua Iti Outdoors, a nationally respected provider of outdoor experiential education and adventure programmes in Tasman.
From the modest beginnings in 1985 when Hazel ran the first programme for what would become Whenua Iti, the organisation has grown steadily and now employs over 40 staff. Today, Whenua Iti offers transformative outdoor education programmes for over 5000 young people every year. The programmes are designed to foster resilience, leadership skills, and a strong connection to their natural environment.
The award ceremony, held in Auckland, brought together leaders and change-makers from across New Zealand’s outdoor and recreation sectors to celebrate achievements and inspire future progress. Hazel’s award marks a significant milestone in a career dedicated to enriching the lives of rangatahi through outdoor education and ensuring their future opportunities for personal and environmental connection.
Mark Bruce-Miller, CEO of Whenua Iti said the award was the culmination of Hazel’s tireless dedication to the sector, “the Te Tohu Manu Kura award recognising Hazel’s extraordinary leadership is a reflection of her commitment to young people and their growth through outdoor experiences. Hazel’s passion for the natural world and her dedication to creating opportunities for rangatahi to thrive has had a lasting impact on Whenua Iti Outdoors and Aotearoa as a whole. This award is a tribute to her vision, her leadership, and the incredible team she has built over the years.”
Whenua Iti also won Recreation Aotearoa’s ‘Tohu Whaiao Māori – Māori Outcomes Award’ for the ‘Fostering Futures Programme’, which supported six trainee instructors in their pathway between education and employment. The project sought to develop facilitation, planning and relevant ‘hard’ and interpersonal skills necessary to be an instructor at Whenua Iti Outdoors (WIO) with a mix of cultural and adventure-based training. The six trainees came from very different backgrounds, some with very little exposure to outdoor/ adventure activities.
Whenua Iti Outdoors continues to expand its offerings and reach, building on Hazel’s legacy and ensuring that future generations benefit from high-quality, accessible outdoor education opportunities.