Trek2Health is an evidence-informed, nature-based health intervention addressing the growing mental health and resilience challenges faced by frontline populations. Grounded in ecological and behavioural science, the program is underpinned by the principle of affordance – recognising that sustained health behaviours emerge through interaction with environments that actively enable movement, social connection, challenge, and meaning. Trek2Health operationalises this framework through a structured, progressive pathway of group-based trekking delivered in natural settings, supported by Accredited Exercise Physiologists and behavioural education.
Multi-year program evaluations demonstrate consistent reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, alongside improvements in physical activity, self-efficacy, and participant engagement. Importantly, the model measures not only activity volume, but psychological engagement, environmental connection, and social participation over time. These findings position Trek2Health as a scalable, cost-effective, preventive health model that aligns with social prescribing principles and offers a practical, evidence-based response to improving population resilience, workforce wellbeing, and long-term health outcomes in Australia.
The Trek2Health Research Team supports the ongoing development, evaluation and communication of Trek2Health’s evidence-informed model. Their work helps connect program delivery, participant outcomes, research insight and practical learning.
As program director at Trek2Health, his passion is the development of a world-leading ecological wellness program that improves resilience and wellbeing through the interaction of individuals with the natural world and a supportive community. During his early involvement in the program, he realised that being in the natural world is incorporated into our DNA which has evolved over time as we walked in and adapted to natural environments. This program has greatly improved his resilience and wellbeing largely due to the truism that action or just walking in the beautiful environment of the Enoggera Reservoir accompanied by like-minded people directs adaptation and behaviour change.
His research explores how movement, perception, social connection, and engagement with natural and social environments influence health, wellbeing, and human performance. Grounded in an ecological approach, his work examines how meaningful activity and supportive environments help people thrive.
Through his collaboration with Trek2Health, Professor Pepping helps inform the evidence-informed principles, guiding philosophy, and educational frameworks underpinning the organisation’s nature-based approach to health, wellbeing, and participation.
Eric’s research is in performance, wellbeing and learning as it relates to psychological processes and outcomes.
He is particularly focused on the human-nature relationship, adventure and extreme environments. Experiences in nature are now recognised as being fundamental to human health and wellbeing. Physical activity in nature has been posited as an important wellbeing facilitator because the presence of nature augments the benefits of physical activity while also enhancing motivation and adherence.
These reports share findings from Trek2Health’s program evaluation and participant outcomes data. They help show how the Trek2Health model works in practice and how participants progress through structured, nature-based activity, social connection and supported behaviour change.
In this video, Professor Gert-Jan Pepping introduces an ecological approach to health and wellbeing. Rather than seeing wellbeing as something that happens only inside the mind or body, this perspective…
By Dr Gert-Jan Pepping, Dr Eric Brymer and Dr Peter Le Rossignol Trek2Health Research Team There is now a substantial body of evidence demonstrating that engaging with natural environments can…
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This article is adapted from a speech delivered by Gert-Jan Pepping at the Trek House in December 2025. Good evening everyone. It’s great to be here, and thank you, Bruce,…
Put simply, resilience is the ability to cope with mental and physical challenges in your life. It may be common knowledge to some, but high levels of physical fitness or…