Guide Details
Louisville, CO USA
I’m Lori Ventimiglia, AKA, The Unapologetic Tree Hugger! I love to “geek out” on Nature and can be found looking up at tree tops and clouds, often at the detriment of my safety! I think it’s a particularly sad commentary on society that hugging a tree is seen as foolish or otherwise, “woo-woo”. Think of what trees do for us! The desk I’m writing at right now, the homes we live in and, of course, the air we breathe . . . all complements of these amazing beings that ask for nothing in return. And now we know that trees release chemicals known as phytoncides, that keep us healthy in ways we never could have imagined! Of course they should be hugged!
I’ve always felt best in Nature. So when, at nine years old, my family moved to Colorado from Philadelphia I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Just hearing the word “Colorado” can make my heart sing and having the privilege to live here - at the base of the Rockies - brings me deep gratitude! At one point in my career I was able to call the mountains “my office”, leading wilderness therapy expeditions for at risk teens. Since that time, I have mostly worked in the nonprofit sector helping to start schools and currently supporting Native communities.
My certification program for this practice is through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.
I live in Louisville with two fur babies and have the great honor to be the mother of three outrageous young adults!
A Little Bit About Me
Pictured above: Me and my Goofy Doodle, Murphy. Murphy accompanies some walks but prefers to stay home if any of the participants aren’t comfortable around dogs!
My “Why”
My “why” is simple: our relationship with Nature deepens through this practice. As much as you might already love Nature and all her beings, be they the furry, the rooted, the winged, the ethereal or the watery variety, this practice has the power to deepen that relationship. As such, you might just be moved to protect her - if even just a little more than you currently do!
