Caro (Caroline) Ryan, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to outdoor recreation through a range of roles. The OAM recognises her lifelong commitment to helping others stay safe in nature.

Caro shared the recognition is “humbling and a deep honour… a sense that all the unseen hours, months and years of work—never done for recognition—are seen, understood and validated as being for service to others, not for personal accolades.”

Her passion for bushwalking and the transformative power of time spent in nature has shaped her life and her work. Through her experience in NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue, she has seen firsthand how things can go wrong in the bush. That’s why she continues to dedicate herself to education, inspiration and encouragement—helping others experience the joy of the outdoors safely.

Caro also reminds us why recognition is important:

“It can be very lonely working behind the scenes for something you believe in. It’s disheartening when you wonder if it’s all worth it, especially when the numbers of missing, injured or deceased people don’t feel like they’re reducing.”

This honour, she says, feels like “a warm, gentle nod from the highest order; a squeeze on the shoulder that sees the work, validates it and provides immense encouragement to keep going. It says, ‘well done, thank you and keep going—you’ve got this, and we (the Australian people) have got you.’”