Dr Kate Rawles combines academic training (she was a lecturer in environmental philosophy at Lancaster University for nine years and has a PhD in environmental ethics) with extensive outdoor experience and a passion for environmental and social change. While at Lancaster, she had a particular interest in figuring out what is said in academia that is useful and then communicating that to professionals in other fields. She has worked with vets, conservationists, engineers and the corporate sector and has lectured nationally and internationally, including in India, Zimbabwe, USA, Italy, Finland and Hong Kong.

She received a NESTA fellowship in 2002 to develop Outdoor Environmental Philosophy and now works as a freelance outdoor philosopher and ethics consultant, and half-time as a senior lecturer in Outdoor Studies, St Martin's College.

As well as outdoor philosophy courses, her free-lance work includes lecturing on ethics, values and sustainable development for Surrey
University and Forum for the Future; running a field-trip based MA module on the philosophy of conservation for Lancaster University and teaching 'Earth Ethics' (with Jane Goodall) at Schumacher College. She is the academic director of Forum for the Future's 'Reconnections' programme – values and sustainabililty for the business community - and works as an independent consultant for NIREX UK on the ethical dimensions of radioactive waste management.

Kate lives in the Lake District and is a keen hill-walker, sea-kayaker and long-distance cyclist. She is a former board member of the British
Association for Nature Conservation and has recently joined the board of the Food Ethics Council. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Arts.

Outdoor Philosophy courses are run by Kate, in conjunction with qualified outdoor professionals and specialist consultants as appropriate.