Forest Therapy Guiding for Children & Youth
A four-day gathering. A council with the more-than-human world
A self-paced course in seven modules. The Standard Sequence, walked with young people.
Children and youth meet the forest on their own terms: faster, louder, more physically, and often more directly than adults do. This course follows the ANFT Standard Sequence from preparation through closing, showing what changes at each stage when the people walking with you are young.
Self-paced | Online
$98
USD
INCLUDES
- Seven self-paced modules
- Short videos filmed on the trail, with transcripts
- Tales from the Trail in every module
- Golden Nuggets - the small things that make a walk work
- On-the-trail explorations for your own practice
- Self-reflection prompts for sit spot
- Grounding in safety, child development, and working with exceptionalities
Who it's for
This course is for certified Forest Therapy guides who want to guide children and youth, along with the adults who accompany them. It is especially for guides who want:
– to work with schools, camps, conservation authorities, or family programs
– to feel steady when a walk includes a wide range of ages
– to build headroom in an area they have not yet guided much
– practical preparation for safety, development, and exceptionalities
– to see how experienced guides actually hold these walks on the trail
What you'll experience
Seven pre-recorded modules, taken at whatever pace serves you. A welcome module grounds you in safety, child development, and working with exceptionalities; the six that follow move through the Standard Sequence from preparation to closing.
Each module offers:
– short videos filmed on the trail, with transcripts
– Tales from the Trail – what happened, and what it asked of the guide
– Golden Nuggets – the small things that make a walk work
– on-the-trail explorations to try in your own practice
– self-reflection prompts for sit spot
You’ll watch invitations offered with a puppet, a tree, and water; see What’s in Motion adapted for partners and small bodies; and hear alternatives to tea ceremony for closing. Most guides spend two to four hours per module, though that depends on your learning style and how much experience you already carry.
What makes this different
Much of what’s here comes from the trail rather than the classroom. Stana Luxford Oddie has guided walks for all ages since 2016 and facilitated nature connection for more than twenty-five years, working through Cataraqui Conservation — the first conservation authority in Ontario to offer Forest Therapy. The demonstrations are real invitations offered in real conditions, and the stories include the walks that went sideways. The course keeps close to the Standard Sequence you already know, so what you learn attaches to your existing practice rather than sitting beside it.
Why join us
Guiding young people opens work that is often steady, often funded, and often the first Forest Therapy a person will ever experience. Children carry these walks home. This course gives you what you need to say yes when a school, camp, or family asks — and to guide with the same care you bring to adults, adjusted for who is actually in front of you.
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