Dr Chris Loynes researches and lectures in Outdoor Studies at the University of Cumbria and leads an international masters programme at the Ambleside campus. He also consults in the UK and internationally for universities and experiential education organisations. He has recently been involved in evaluating several national projects that work in the outdoors, including Learning Away. He has a long standing interest in understanding practices of teaching and learning that get the best outcomes. He is currently exploring the application of outdoor and experiential approaches to education for sustainability, and regularly works with Kate on Outdoor Philosophy courses.
His first post at a comprehensive school involved the development of an outdoor education programme as an alternative curriculum. He moved on to lead the Brathay Hall Trust’s Youth Development Programme. During this time he undertook a Churchill Fellowship to study outdoor leadership training world wide. He was the founder and editor of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership, the field’s professional journal, from 1980-2000. In 1987 he founded and managed Adventure Education, a training and publishing service for the outdoor education field.
As well as the voluntary youth sector and the outdoor education fields Chris has consulted in the education and corporate sectors. He has published widely in professional journals and conference proceedings and has a PhD which focuses on informal education. He is currently chair of the European Outdoor Education Network.
Chris is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a keen naturalist, mountaineer, offshore sailor and sea kayaker.