Transforming spaces into places
of connection, restoration, and belonging
The Academy of Place focuses on the relationship between people and the environments they inhabit. In a fast-paced, technology-driven world, it creates and certifies trails, spaces, and places that invite people to slow down, listen, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world.
Across parks, gardens, retreat centres, hospitality destinations, municipalities, and natural landscapes, the Academy supports environments intentionally selected or designed for safe, immersive, multi-sensory Forest Therapy experiences.
Its purpose is not simply to create destinations, but to cultivate places where the land itself can welcome people into reflection, wellbeing, connection, and a deeper relationship with the living world.
Explore Our Programs
Trails, Space & Places Certification Consultant Program
Learn ANFT’s methodology for designing, assessing, and certifying trails and natural spaces that inspire connection, restoration, and belonging.
- For Certified Forest Therapy Guides interested in consulting, place design, and trail certification.
- Online - Self Paced
Certify your Trail
Transform a trail into a destination for meaningful nature connection. ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trails are thoughtfully designed to foster presence, wellbeing, and deeper relationships with the living world.
- Parks, gardens, municipalities, retreat centers, hospitality destinations, and land managers.
Find a Trail
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Forest Therapy Trails, Spaces & Places Program?
The Forest Therapy Trails, Spaces & Places Program is an international certification and partnership program that helps organizations intentionally create places that support human wellbeing through meaningful experiences in nature.
Rather than simply designating a walking trail, we work collaboratively with land managers, organizations, and certified consultants to identify the unique qualities of a place and thoughtfully design experiences that invite people into deeper relationship with the landscape.
Each certified site reflects its own ecology, culture, history, and community, making every project unique.
Who is the program designed for?
The program welcomes a wide range of organizations, including:
- Parks and recreation departments
- Botanical gardens and arboretums
- Nature centers
- Universities and campuses
- Public gardens
- Resorts and retreat centers
- Land trusts and conservation organizations
- Hospitals and healthcare campuses
- Municipalities
- Indigenous and cultural heritage sites
- Private landowners interested in public access
If your organization values nature, wellbeing, education, conservation, community engagement, or environmental stewardship, this program may be an excellent fit.
What are the benefits of becoming a Certified Forest Therapy Trail or Site?
Certification offers far more than recognition. It reflects a commitment to creating places that foster wellbeing, connection, and stewardship while joining a growing international community of organizations dedicated to strengthening people’s relationship with the natural world.
Benefits include:
- International recognition as a Certified Forest Therapy Trail or Site
- A professionally designed, self-guided forest therapy experience unique to your landscape
- Professional consultation and site assessment
- Increased visibility through ANFT and partner marketing
- Opportunities for community engagement and public programming
- Enhanced visitor experiences that encourage slowing down, reflection, and connection
- Access to a global network of land managers, consultants, and innovative organizations
- Ongoing opportunities for collaboration, learning, and shared best practices
Many organizations discover that the certification process not only enhances the visitor experience but also strengthens internal collaboration, deepens stewardship, and brings renewed appreciation for the unique qualities of their landscape.
What happens during the certification process?
Every project is collaborative.
Your Certified Forest Therapy Trails Consultant works alongside your organization to understand your goals, explore the landscape, and identify the qualities that make your site unique.
Together, you will:
- Explore the property’s strengths and opportunities
- Conduct a comprehensive site assessment
- Identify locations that naturally support restorative experiences
- Design a self-guided Forest Therapy experience
- Develop recommendations that strengthen the site’s ability to support wellbeing
- Complete the certification review process
- Celebrate the site’s official certification with your community
The process is designed to honor the land first while creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect with it.
How long does certification take?
Every property is unique, so timelines vary.
Most projects are completed within three to six months, depending on the size of the property, organizational scheduling, seasonal considerations, and whether optional enhancements are being added.
The process is intentionally collaborative and moves at a pace that allows thoughtful observation, planning, and stewardship rather than rushing toward completion.
What does certification cost?
One of the most common misconceptions is that becoming a Certified Forest Therapy Trail requires extensive construction or major infrastructure improvements. In reality, the program is intentionally flexible and scalable, making it accessible for a wide variety of landscapes, whether you’re stewarding a nature preserve, municipal park, botanical garden, university campus, urban green space, or private woodland.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, every project is tailored to the unique character of the land, the goals of the organization, the needs of the community, and the principles of thoughtful stewardship. The objective isn’t to build something new. It’s to reveal and enhance what already exists.
In fact, many sites achieve certification with few, if any, physical changes. The heart of the process lies in thoughtfully curating a sensory-rich, welcoming, and restorative experience, allowing visitors to engage more deeply with the landscape. An existing footpath may become a Certified Forest Therapy Trail through intentional design, carefully crafted invitations, and subtle cues that encourage presence, curiosity, and connection.
For organizations that wish to further enrich the experience, optional enhancements such as seating areas, shelters, interpretive signage, artwork, accessibility improvements, gathering spaces, or printed guides can certainly be incorporated. These features are never required for certification. They are simply opportunities to deepen the visitor experience when they align with your vision.
Every certification project begins with an on-site assessment conducted by a Certified Forest Therapy Trails Consultant. During this visit, the consultant explores the landscape, observing its ecological character, natural features, flora and fauna, overstory and understory, seasonal rhythms, and the presence of the more-than-human community. Just as importantly, they consider how people currently experience the space and where opportunities exist to foster greater connection, reflection, and belonging.
Following the assessment, the consultant develops tailored recommendations and designs a self-guided Forest Therapy experience that reflects the unique spirit and story of your place.
Most consultation projects involve approximately 15 to 20+ hours of professional consulting, with fees typically ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 USD, depending on the size and complexity of the property.
In addition to the consultant’s professional fees, organizations should also plan for:
- Optional implementation costs, if desired, such as signage, printed guides, seating, accessibility enhancements, or a community launch celebration
Because every landscape and organization is different, your consultant will work with you to develop an approach that fits both your vision and your budget. Many certified sites begin with modest investments and continue evolving over time as the partnership grows.
Certification is not about how much you build. It’s about how intentionally you invite people into relationship with PLACE.
What makes this different from simply creating a walking trail?
A Forest Therapy Trail is intentionally designed to cultivate relationship rather than simply movement.
Traditional trails often focus on distance, recreation, or reaching a destination. A Certified Forest Therapy Trail is designed around how people experience the landscape.
The certification process considers:
- Sensory engagement
- Restorative experiences
- Accessibility and inclusivity
- The ecological and cultural story of the landscape
- Opportunities for reflection and mindfulness
- Places that naturally invite curiosity, wonder, and belonging
Every decision is made with the goal of helping visitors slow down, notice more deeply, and develop a more meaningful relationship with the more-than-human world.
Who designs and certifies the trails?
Each project is led by a Certified Forest Therapy Trails Consultant who has completed specialized training through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT).
Consultants combine expertise in forest therapy principles, landscape assessment, visitor experience, collaborative planning, and place-based design to help organizations create experiences that are authentic to both the land and their mission.
Certification is awarded through ANFT after the completed project successfully meets the program’s standards.
I'm already an ANFT Forest Therapy Guide. How do I become a Trails Consultant?
Certified ANFT Forest Therapy Guides are invited to continue their professional pathway by completing the Forest Therapy Trails Consultant Training.
This advanced training prepares guides to work with parks, nature centers, municipalities, campuses, healthcare organizations, retreat centers, and private landowners to create Certified Forest Therapy Trails and Sites.
Consultants learn how to:
- Conduct professional site assessments
- Collaborate with organizations and land managers
- Design meaningful self-guided forest therapy experiences
- Develop recommendations that strengthen visitor engagement
- Guide organizations through the certification process
- Build a consulting practice serving their region
Many consultants find this creates meaningful new professional opportunities while expanding the impact of forest therapy into communities, public lands, and organizations around the world.
What happens after certification?
Certification is often just the beginning of the relationship.
Many organizations continue working with their consultant to:
- Offer guided Forest Therapy walks
- Train staff and volunteers
- Develop additional certified trails or restorative spaces
- Host community events
- Create seasonal programming
- Evaluate visitor experiences
- Expand wellness initiatives across their property
As part of the program, organizations also become part of an international community committed to sharing ideas, celebrating successes, and learning from one another as the movement continues to grow.
Is this a global program?
Yes.
The Forest Therapy Trails, Spaces & Places Program continues to expand through regional and international partnerships around the world.
Certified consultants, partner organizations, and land managers form a collaborative network that shares knowledge, supports innovation, and celebrates places that foster human wellbeing and ecological stewardship.
Whether you’re creating a trail in a city park, botanical garden, university campus, cultural landscape, or protected natural area, you become part of a worldwide community committed to designing places where both people and nature can thrive together.
How do I get started?
Getting started is simple.
If you’re an organization, we’ll connect you with a Certified Forest Therapy Trails Consultant in your region to explore your goals, discuss your landscape, and determine whether certification is a good fit for your site.
If you’re an ANFT Forest Therapy Guide interested in becoming a consultant, you can learn more about upcoming trainings and the professional pathway available through the program.
Whether you’re stewarding a landscape, guiding others in nature, or exploring new ways to support wellbeing in your community, we’d love to welcome you into this growing network of organizations, consultants, guides, and changemakers who believe that thoughtfully designed places have the power to transform our relationship with the living world.
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