Landscapes of experience: young people, the outdoors, and the power of unfamiliar encounters

ABSTRACT

Unfamiliar Landscapes is a collection of texts from academics and practitioners that explores the relationship between young people and unfamiliar landscapes. The book challenges established norms and encourages a more inclusive approach to outdoor engagement for young people. In this review essay I reflect on my own experiences of the outdoors focusing on themes prominent within the book: the importance of engaging diverse groups in the outdoors, landscapes as sensed across multiple registers, and the role of adults in mediating young people's relationships with landscapes. The book provides an invaluable contribution to current debates in a range of disciplines and contexts highlighting the importance of understanding young people's varied experiences and how they engage with unfamiliar landscapes.

KEYWORDS:

• Young people
• outdoors
• unfamiliar

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).