Held Outside nature connection experiences

08/03/2026

Launching: Nature Connection Women's Retreat in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland! Fri 19 - Mon 22 June.

Join this small group, nature lover's retreat with cabin accommodation with beautiful private rainforest hills and waterfall gullies.

A down-to-Earth retreat dedicated to deepening our nature connection.

Now open for bookings by new guests.

Early bird offer ends Thursday 19 March.

All the details: https://events.humanitix.com/winter-nature-connection-women-s-retreat-19-22-june

cohosted with the fabulous Mon Heartwood Nature Bathing and Sara Essential Nature Connection

07/03/2026

Join a small group guided nature walk in the bush, through the open woodlands and alongside one of the tributaries of the Mooloolah River at Mountain Creek - Saturday 21 March 4pm.

Learn about the ecosystem, species of the season bingo and ways to connect with nature. Discounted for Healthy Sunshine Coast members, $15 per person.

Register at https://events.humanitix.com/engage-with-nature-at-mountain-creek-21-mar-26

01/03/2026

Hey Brisbane , here's an offering nearer to you - I'll be guiding a short nature connection walk at Samford on Satruday 28th March, but there's also ... a fungi walk, plant id walk and opera workshop! 😆🌳🦋
Check the full program in the link below and make sure you register for the workshops before they fill up!

Another month, another ... Park of the Month. 🎉

For March, it's beautiful Samford Conservation Park on Saturday 28 March.

We hope to see you there for a morning of looking closely, listening carefully and learning more about native plants, little-seen fungi and even how to draw wildlife or hit some high notes in nature with barefoot opera. Some of our FREE events even feature as part of Brisbane's World Science Festival.

This morning of nature immersion is a great way to slow down, learn something new, make like-minded friends and truly connect with this special protected area. Check out what's on offer at https://bit.ly/March26POTM

Hurry, tickets book out fast.

Parks Connect is proudly supported through funding from the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

Queensland National Parks World Science Festival Queensland Museum Kurilpa Queensland Environment Held Outside nature connection experiences Debra Pickering Partial Veil Birds Queensland Springboard Opera

01/03/2026

Sundays with the beautiful gardens, in sun and in rain every 1st Sunday of the month.
Thank you once again,



Join us next time, rego info in links.

26/02/2026

I brought these folks with me into the forest today, forest smiles all round. You can catch us on in a few weeks!

Upcoming offerings on 1, 8, 21 March check the links for details

with

23/02/2026

Got plans for the weekend? How about starting Sunday morning with a small group of nature lovers & wild beings at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden.

Monthly sessions are proudly presented as a part of the Healthy Sunshine Coast program. Just $10pp or $5 for concession card holders.

All the details & registration:

Come together to share in the simple pleasures and gentle, restorative qualities of nature. Part of Sunshine Coast Council’s Healthy Sunshine Coast program .

21/02/2026

February is almost done (!) Come and join next Sunday (1st March) Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden, or Mapleton Falls National Park the following week!

19/02/2026

Time to unwind, connect and explore, held in a beautiful, protected location.

A small window into our very special small group Nature Connection Women's Retreat in February.

We are planning another in June, based on the same principles but guided by the season.

Co-hosted expertly with Bellthorpe Stays , Heartwood Nature Bathing, Essential Nature Connection, People Aboriginal Corporation

More here: https://www.heldoutside.com.au/nature-connection-retreat

Hosted on the Sunshine Coast, in a Ecotourism Australia certified accommodation, and a collaboration of 3 guides, trained by Association of Nature and Forest Therapy

18/02/2026

In some schools, students begin their day with yoga and stillness meditation in nature,

others join elders for early morning farming activities …

“Through mixed-method studies, we now see solid evidence that blending mindfulness with nature immersion doesn’t just enrich classroom theory; it meaningfully sharpens attention, deepens empathy, bolsters emotional regulation, and fosters a profound sense of connection.”

Read more from environmental neuroscientist Pooja Sahni in her article Contemplative and Ecological Education: https://www.mindandlife.org/insight/contemplative-and-ecological-education/

How a contemplative and ecological approach to learning can help reshape education systems—cultivating empathy, attention, resilience, and planetary care.

17/02/2026

Make a date to spend time connecting with nature. Like ... Tuesday 24th Feb morning for a guided nature connection walk with a certified nature and forest therapy guide. And V, GF morning tea!
Details in events link.
SCRC permit ✔️

13/02/2026

Make the most of Sunshine Coast hinterland holiday by forest bathing with a guide.

Being out in nature feels good, and *is* good for your health and our Earth's. A guide can help you slow down, learn and connect more deeply with nature in the present moment.

Check the Held Outside Nature Connection Experiences website for upcoming public walks or DM for a call back to chat about what a private walk entails and how it might work for you.

https://www.heldoutside.com.au/sunshinecoastforestbathing

11/02/2026

“Symbiosis is becoming a core principle of contemporary biology, and … lead[s] us into directions that transcend the self/nonself, subject/object dichotomies that have characterized Western thought.'“

I had heard of some of the examples - our gut biomes, ant-caterpilla relationships, lichen and coral partnerships, but not about how in salamander development, symbiotic algae on the egg jelly produce the oxygen necessary for the survival of the spotted salamander embryos!

A Symbiotic View of Life: We Have Never Been Individuals is a fascinating read: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/668166



Photo from a recent Forest Bathing Walk at Kondalilla National Park. Check my links for upcoming gentle guided nature connection walks.