Personal profile
Biography
Tonia Gray (she/her) is a Professor in the Centre for Educational Research, and the World Leisure Centre for Excellence at Western Sydney University. The nexus of her transdisciplinary research explores human-nature relationships and its impact on health and wellbeing.
Tonia is a multi-award-winning educator having received the prestigious 2014 Australian Award for Excellence in University Teaching and the 2019 Association of Experiential Education Distinguished Researcher of the Year. Currently, Tonia is the Executive Editor of Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education and was the past chair of Australian Tertiary Outdoor Education Network (ATOEN).
Professor Gray has been a tireless advocate, educator and researcher whose work has strengthened the evidence base for outdoor and experiential learning, advanced inclusive practice and leadership, and inspired countless educators, practitioners and students to connect people with nature. Her longstanding commitment to Outdoor Learning and Outdoor Education Curriculum Development in Australia was acknowledged with a distinguished Fellow of Outdoor Education Australia (FOEA), and Life Membership to Outdoors NSW&ACT (ONSW&ACT) awarded in 2025.
Currently, Tonia is Program Lead for Alternative and Innovative Learning and Teaching Environments where her research focuses on healthy outdoor risk-taking for child and adolescent development.
Professor Gray has secured over $1.2 million in research grants over her academic career. She has been involved in a number of multi-agency program evaluation projects supporting community-based organisations to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
With a lifelong passion for environmental advocacy, in 2019 Tonia journeyed to Antarctica with the Homeward Bound Project to elevate Women in Leadership and Climate Action.
Related links
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wollongong
Research keywords
- outdoor health
- outdoor adventure education
- outdoor learning
- wellbeing
- nature-based
- benefit risk
- Curriculum Design
- Gender Equity
- experiential education
- adolescent health
- child development
- community health
- climate action
- biophilic design
- Risky Play
- risk
- sustainability
- environmental advocacy
- pedagogical studies
- risk behaviour
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Children’s Participation in Bush School: Insights into Parental Understanding and Support for Nature Play.
Harper, A. & Gray, T., Mar 2026, In: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Encouraging Interpersonal Motor Synchrony Benefits Children with Autism.
Galbraith, C., Sturges, M. & Gray, T., 1 Apr 2026, In: Current Developmental Disorders Reports. 13, 5Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Nature Play as a Catalyst for Outdoor Learning, Engagement and Wellbeing in Australian Primary Students
Harper, A., Gray, T. & Hespos, S., Mar 2026, In: Education Sciences. 16, 3, 492.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Nature Play as a Catalyst for Wellbeing, Engagement, and Learning in Australian Primary Students.
Harper, A., Hespos, S. & Gray, T., 2026, In: Education Sciences. 16, 3Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Reconnecting urban youth to nature in a place-based program for wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour: a qualitatively driven mixed-methods pilot study
Gray, T. & Pigott, F., Jan 2026, In: Journal of Sustainability Research. 8, 1, 27 p., e260009.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure)
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Guardians of the Park: Habitat Restoration Program for Western Sydney's Adolescents
Gray, T. (PI)
14/01/25 → 29/02/28
Project: Research
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Cooling the Schools Evaluation 2024
Taylor, N. (PI), Gray, T. (Investigator), White, R. (Investigator) & Bennie, A. (Investigator)
3/04/24 → 30/06/25
Project: Research
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Assessing the Impact of a School Outdoor Education Long-term Initiative at Pymble Ladies' College
Gray, T. (PI), Ullman, J. (Investigator) & Curry, C. (Investigator)
14/02/22 → 23/06/23
Project: Research
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Sowing Seeds of Hope
Dimoulias, K. (PI), Gray, T. (Investigator) & Tracey, D. (Investigator)
Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust
21/01/22 → 30/04/24
Project: Research
Datasets
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Bridging gaps: Practitioners working in the outdoors and assessment tools for health and wellbeing dataset
Peel, N., Reis, A., Gray, T. & Possamai, N., Western Sydney University, 15 Apr 2025
DOI: 10.26183/tzq3-4r93, https://research-data.westernsydney.edu.au/published/4c38e360199a11f09276e5fee9fced7b
Dataset
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Association of Experiential Education (Event)
Gray, T. (Other)
1 Jan 2020 → 1 Jan 2021Activity: Membership › Association
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Professoriate Leadership Group (PLG) (Event)
Gray, T. (Member)
1 Feb 2019 → …Activity: Membership › Committee
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International Adventure Therapy Conference Committee (Event)
Gray, T. (Other)
1 Jan 2018Activity: Membership › Committee
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NSW Representative, Australian Association of Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT) (Event)
Gray, T. (Other)
1 Jan 2017 → 1 Jan 2018Activity: Membership › Association
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Australian Association of Bush Adventure Therapy (Event)
Gray, T. (Other)
1 Jan 2017Activity: Membership › Association
Press/Media
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Risky play is not a dirty word: A tool to measure benefit–risk in outdoor playgrounds and educational settings
17/10/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Schools Tree Day: planting the seeds of nature care for a brighter, greener future
15/04/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
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Prizes
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Australian Award University Teaching (AAUT) National Teaching Excellence Award
Gray, T. (Recipient), 11 Dec 2014
Prize
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