This paper reports on a study conducted in 2002 and 2003 investigating the nature and scope of outdoor education in New Zealand primary and secondary schools. The aim of the study was to gather data on teachers' practices in outdoor education in New Zealand, the beliefs and values that shape those practices, some of the barriers teachers faced teaching in the outdoors and resources that they felt would support them in their teaching. Findings suggest that teachers use the outdoors to support teaching across the whole curriculum but the types of activities undertaken and the reasons for using the outdoors to enhance learning varied across the primary and secondary sectors. The learning outcomes that respondents considered most important were primarily around personal and social development. The study highlights that there is considerable ambiguity in terminology and understanding around teaching and learning in the outdoors that merits further investigation.