The Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT) is pleased welcome you to Australia in 2018 for the 8IATC
AABAT is proud to be hosting you in Sydney at the 8IATC in 2018. AABAT is underwriting the conference and forms the nucleus of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). International oversight of the conference is provided by the Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC)
AABAT is a professional association for practitioners and organisations who have an interest in using adventure and the outdoors to achieve therapeutic outcomes in their work. Over at least the last 60-80 years, various professional groups and networks have met around Australia to progress the development of a field of practice that by 2004 came to be known as Bush Adventure Therapy (BAT). An Australia-wide community of BAT practitioners who had been meeting annually since 2002 decided to formalise their association, and AABAT was incorporated in December 2008 following a decision that was affectionately known as the ‘Yam Bore Manifesto’, written at that year’s annual BAT Forum in Central Australia.
While the association itself is young, it follows practices grounded in the knowledge and wisdom of its members and has behind it a history of events, practice, collaboration and dedication that will enable it to provide leadership, representation and support to its members and other interested parties.
AABAT is the professional peak body for practitioners who have an interest in supporting, developing and promoting the field of BAT in Australia. Important to this professional community are the intended actions of the organisation based on transparent representative decision-making processes and regional representation. The committee has 17 current members spanning almost all the states and territories of Australia. Members are responsible for tasks such as the production of a regular E-news and delivery of an annual Forum in different states and territories each year attracting 30 to 80 delegates from wide-ranging programs and services. The AABAT committee is very excited to host their international peers at 8IATC in 2018.
For more information about AABAT see http://www.aabat.org.au
