Nature, Relationships and Wellbeing Online Forum

Our Forum was held October 18 - 20, 2024

3-Day Free Online Summit

Celebrating 10 years of opening the doors to meaningful relationships for all beings, our first-ever Nature, Relationships and Wellbeing Online Forum was a huge success! If you were not able to attend, the recordings are available to be accessed by anyone!

For millions of years we have roamed this earth as a community and in intimate relationship with all beings.

Somewhere along the way these relationships have become severed and we have become separate from the world and from each other.

How can we remember what it feels like to live in reciprocity with all beings?

Meet The Speakers

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful event!

Our Program

Friday, October 18th

8am PST | Opening Session with Amos Clifford and Manuela Siegfried

Join the ANFT Leadership Team in this welcome session to the 1st ANFT Nature, Relationships and Wellbeing Online Forum. Celebrating 10 years of

8.15am PST | Science and Practice of Nature as Medicine with Dr. Susan Abookire

This presentation will introduce the foundation of Nature as Medicine. We will explore the evidence behind the health benefits of Nature across a broad scope of disorders, ranging from physical conditions such as hypertension to complex disorders affecting physical, psychological, and cognitive function.

With this foundation, we will then explore opportunities to incorporate the benefits of nature into a healthcare practice. We will consider how the benefits of nature can serve to complement conventional approaches in medicine and explore ways that combining conventional approaches to medicine with nature can amplify the benefits and rewards of each approach.

9am PST | The intersection of Public Health and Public Lands- Using America's National Forests as Healing Spaces with Toby Bloom

Spending time in nature has a measurable positive impact on our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, access to National Forest System lands provided significant contributions to the health and well-being of people and communities. Based on documented evidence and experiences on three National Forest Units, the USDA Forest Service developed a toolkit called “Prescribing Vitamin N(ature).” This first-of-its-kind toolkit discusses how the Forest Service can join forces with health professionals to use facilities, trails, and staff expertise to create restorative outdoor experiences for people who might otherwise not have access to them.

As the realization of the therapeutic effects of time outdoors has gained traction, the Veterans Administration of the US Government is now investigating Outdoor Recreation as a therapeutic intervention for Veterans, and the USDA Forest Service is a working member of the White House Task Force for Veterans in Outdoor Recreation, providing recommendations on how to reduce barriers to access to outdoor recreation for veterans. Forest Service has also hosted two in-person study tours with representatives from the Ukrainian Government, as they navigate the wellbeing of the country’s armed forces and their family members.

As part of the Forest Service mission, and in support of our Equity Action Plan, we are helping communities realize the potential of recreation and time outdoors as a driver to support healthy societies, strong local economies, thriving outdoor places, and equitable outdoor recreation opportunities.

Join Toby Bloom- Forest Service National Program Manager for Tourism and Interpretation, the managing editor of Prescribing Vitamin N, a working group representative on the WH Task Force, and an ANFT-Certified Forest Therapy Guide- for a discussion around this emerging topic of how governments around the world are encouraging time outdoors for wellness. Learn to empower yourself and local organizations across the globe to better serve the public through nature-based physical and mental health promotion.

10am PST | Integrating Nature Connection in education with Alicia Frizzle

In this engaging and insightful session, we will explore the transformative power of integrating nature connection into educational settings. Drawing from my experience training teachers, I will share practical strategies and hands-on activities that are designed to be interactive, engaging, and easily implementable. Teachers and parents can incorporate these activities into the classroom environment and their routines. Gain a deeper understanding of how these nature-based practices can enhance student well-being, foster community, and enrich the learning experience.

Through this forum, Alicia will introduce various methods that can seamlessly integrate into learning practices. These methods provide students with opportunities to connect with the natural world and offer educators a pathway to rejuvenate and sustain their own well-being. Join us to discover how reconnecting with nature can create a more balanced, mindful, and inspired educational journey for teachers and learners.

11am PST | Long Break

Sessions will resume at 3pm PST

3pm PST | The Inter-relationship Between Shinrin-yoku 森林 / Nature Therapy and Spirituality 概念 with Margaret Hansen

Recent research has identified Shinrin-Yoku (SY), a Japanese term meaning “relaxing in nature to improve health,” as an effective integrative practice to improve humans’ physiological and psychological health and well-being. Nature Therapy (NT), also coined as Ecotherapy, includes a plethora of treatments to improve individuals’ health in outdoor settings. Research regarding the inter-relationship between SY/NT and human spirituality is limited. However, there is a growing interest in the inter-relationship or SY/NT and one’s spiritual connection.

The aim of this session is to create an open conversation with the audience regarding the concepts of mind, body, spirit connection via SY/NT. The literature and ecological activists, such as John Seed, identify the spiritual connection of being immersed in natural settings. The concepts of “awe” and “wonder” support the inter-relatedness of nature and human spirituality. During this conversation with the audience, the identified concepts will be explored and the participants will be asked to reflect and identify their own experiences of the nature-spirit connection.

4pm PST | Connecting Students with Nature: Exploring a University Course that Impacts Students' Well-Being through Time Outdoors with Courtney Crim and Laura Allen

We know that spending time in nature provides valuable relief from the demands of daily life. However, when this suggestion is made to an overwhelmed college student, the typical response is often, “I don’t have time.” To help students prioritize outdoor experiences within their busy schedules, we developed a course that not only offers academic credit but also integrates theory, research, and practice on the benefits of time outdoors and its impact on health. This approach required more than simply embodying the role of a guide—it also had to meet the academic standards of the university, as well as the programmatic requirements of the education and environmental studies departments.

The focus on theory and research addressed many traditional academic learning standards. However, the development of practical, outdoor experiences was more challenging. We needed to appeal to all kinds of students—from those who would happily sit under a tree all day, to those who need to read an empirical research article before even considering what we had to say. The practical component of the class includes opportunities for students to connect with nature through outdoor assignments, class sessions held outside, field trips to local natural areas and state parks, with elements of forest bathing woven throughout.

In this session, we will briefly touch on the theoretical foundations on which the course was framed, as well as the established research linking time in nature with improved well-being. We will share the course development process and implementation, along with research findings on the reduction of rumination and increase in psychological well-being that have been shared globally. Specifically, we will address the role of forest therapy in shaping the course design and discuss various assignments that merge course objectives with authentic outdoor experiences. We hope to open a discussion about our work and explore other aspects of this nature-centered, student-focused course, which has successfully improved the well-being of college students.

5pm PST | The world of AWAI; Reciprocal relationship with nature in Japan with Makiko Sagushita & Dr. Yasuhiro Kobayashi

Traditionally, there have been ways to nurture our reciprocal relationship with nature and forest in Japan.

Two speakers will share some good practices including relational forest therapy and prospects for reuniting our relationship with nature in the world of AWAI-inbetween.

Saturday, October 19th

8am PST | Accessible Forest - Looking Beyond Barriers with Dagna Gmitrowicz & Marcin Urbaniak

The introduction of The Accessible Forest Project—an initiative that restores the relationship with nature for groups facing significant barriers to these experiences. Health challenges, mobility limitations, financial constraints, lack of knowledge, and even cultural beliefs have prevented many from accessing the healing power of nature. These challenges are especially evident in institutions like senior homes, hospitals, daycare centres for people with disabilities, and refugee centres.

We will discuss:

– Why These Groups? Why are these specific groups disconnected from nature? We will explore the context behind their limited access and address the often unspoken beliefs that act as barriers. By disarming these limiting assumptions, we can open pathways to ensure everyone has the opportunity to reconnect with the natural world.

– Adapting the Practice for Diverse Groups. Different groups require unique adaptations to the ANFT Standard Sequence. Whether working with seniors, people with disabilities, refugees, or others, we’ll discuss how these modifications ensure the practice remains inclusive and impactful, tailoring each experience to the participants’ needs.

– Special Competencies of a Guide. Guiding these groups requires more than just knowledge of nature. We will outline the additional skills and attitudes a guide must possess to effectively facilitate nature immersion for people with distinct needs.

A Story Beyond Words We will conclude with a “story without words,” inviting you to reflect on the power of non-verbal communication in nature immersion, where presence and connection often speak louder than language.

This project is a collaboration between four organizations from Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Portugal. Over 22 months, more than 200 people have worked together to develop best practices for making forest experiences accessible to those who’ve previously been excluded. Through this project, we are developing educational tools that use the ANFT Standard Sequence to guide these communities back to nature.

Our consortium consists of:

MSP Słyszę Serce (Poland),

KulturNest e.V. (Germany),

Renature, Maria do Carmo Pinheiro de Mello Stilwell (Portugal),

Szatyor Közösség a Környezettudatos Életmód Támogatásáért Egyesüle (Hungary),

with co-funding from the EU

9am PST | Access Intimacy in Nature: Assessing Care through Direct Experiences with Summer Crider

This presentation explores the concept of access intimacy in nature, focusing on the relationships between able-bodied and disabled beings, and how nature can provide healing and restorative experiences for all. The presenter will draw on their experiences as a Deaf Forest Therapy guide to discuss the importance of equality and access in nature using direct experiences being a gateway for connection.

10am PST | Singing Vespers to the Wolves and Other Stories with Amos Clifford and Josep-Maria Mallarach

Our conversation will discuss some traditional worldviews, the beliefs and value systems that explain how respectful attitudes towards sacred natural sites have evolved, and how intrinsic values have been accepted. We will discuss the beliefs of Christian and Muslim sages and mystics about the intrinsic value of life, and that non human living beings are praying, glorifying the Creator, and the relevance and implications that these worldviews, may have to increasing our connectedness and respect for the natural world, for our Mother Earth. The loss of the sense of the sacred is found at the root of the utilitarian and exploitation approaches, hence the global unsustainable trends.

11am PST | Exploring the Role of the Heart Sense in Nature Connection and in Life with Amos Clifford & Dr. Louise Livingstone

In this conversation we will have the pleasure to witness the curiosity and experience of these two incredible speakers on contemporary ideas on the role of the heart in nature connection and personal development.

Dr. Livingstone is a leading voice in bringing contemporary ideas of the heart’s intelligence into academic conversation.

Amos Clifford advocates that the development of the heart sense is one of the core rationales for what is called Forest Therapy.

12pm PST | Long Break

Sessions will resume at 3pm PST

3pm PST | Certified Forest Therapy Trails: Enhancing Human and Environmental Well-being with Holly Jo Walters, Florencia de los Santos Garza and Michelle Morton

This presentation aims to highlight the essential role of PLACE in fostering a deep, reciprocal relationship between individuals and the natural world. By understanding and nurturing our connection to specific environments, we can cultivate a sense of love and responsibility towards these places, leading to healthier individuals, ecosystems and communities. In addition to ANFT Program Director, Holly Jo Walters, the presentation will also feature two guest speakers, Florencia de los Santos Garza and Michelle Morton, who will share their insights and experiences related to forest therapy and community engagement through nature.

4pm PST | The value of the forest on an interdimensional level and the challenges of preserving it with Moisés Hernadez

Historically, it has been proven that forests bring wealth in the material realm, and it is also established that they promote well-being on mental and spiritual levels.

The Mayan people, like many native communities, face significant challenges in preserving their forests, which are crucial to their culture, livelihoods, and environment.
deforestation and land degradation, land disputes and lack of legal recognition , manipulation of natural cycles, and economic pressures are some of the challenges that are faced.

Eco Buen Vivir has taken action to preserve, nourish and implement projects that are beneficial to the land, such as permaculture, agroforestry and land conservation.

5pm PST | Effects of Forest Bathing/Shinrin-Yoku/Forest Therapy on Mental Health with Dr. Qing Li

The forest bathing significantly decreased Self-Rating Depression Scale scores and the effect lasted for one week after forest bathing. The forest bathing also significantly increased the level of serotonin in serum in subjects who were not taking antidepressants, significantly increased the levels of oxytocin and insulin-like growth factor I in blood, significantly increased the scores for vigor-activity and friendliness and decreased the scores for anger-hostility, confusion-bewilderment, fatigue-inertia, tension-anxiety, depression-dejection and total mood disturbance compared with city walking (all p<0.05) in the POMS test. In addition, the forest bathing program reduced subjective fatigue symptoms and improved sleepiness on rising and sleep length.

Forest bathing reduces depression symptoms and may have potential preventive effects against depression.

Sunday, October 20th

8am PST | La Ilusión Nature Preserve. Forest Therapy applied to an ecosystem restoration process in the Colombian High Andes with Natalia Laverde Bohorquéz

This case study presents how Relational Forest Therapy™ is integrated with land stewardship and the process of ecological restoration of the cloud forest in the Nature Preserve La Ilusión (Colombia).

We will explore the development, limits, and opportunities of the practice at La Ilusión, Certified Forest Therapy Nature Preserve by ANFT. The Nature Preserve is a private property managed by El Bosque y La Niebla Foundation. It is one of the first OECM (Other Effective Conservation Measures) of Colombia of being reported by the Ministry of Environment to the World Database of Protected Areas of the UNEP-WCMC.

9am PST | Nature and Forest Therapy Programs in Tourism – Our Stories from the Field with Giovanna Raineri & Beàta Szablics

This discussion explores impactful stories from our work in tourism with nature and forest therapy practices in various settings. The session examines how these programs can drive consumer and traveler behavior change by fostering deep connections to the places they visit. Key insights will highlight how integrating these practices into traveler experiences can create relational benefits and heal relationships between people and places. Opportunities for business collaboration within the tourism sector will be explored, along with tips and best practices. Bring your questions for an engaging Q&A session too. Join us to discover how stories and experiences with nature can transform tourism, enrich traveler experiences, and promote well-being for both travelers and destinations.

Key points:

-our stories from the field practices working in various tourism areas

-the power of nature and forest therapy practices to inspire behavioral change

-collaboration opportunities in the tourism sector

-Q&A: bring your questions

10am PST | Terrestrial ecosystem interaction as treatment strategy for mental health and rehabilitation in community health. Experience from Chile with Blanca Llegers Larraín - Fundación Bayos

Fundación Bayos, located in southern Chile, has developed a model for mental health and rehabilitation in rural areas where nature and horses serve as agents of change for human development, positively impacting well-being, learning, and community engagement. At our foundation, we are dedicated to providing therapeutic care and support to children and young people facing developmental challenges. Our focus extends to various areas, including sensorimotor, emotional, learning, and communication aspects.

Our interdisciplinary health team, through a process of knowledge alignment, has successfully integrated interaction with the terrestrial ecosystem we inhabit—including the forest, garden, and horses—into traditional clinical practice as a vital element in therapeutic processes. This integration has transformed these elements into tools that enhance human development. Working with these tools allows for the transfer of learning to the everyday contexts of individuals, such as their homes, schools, and communities. The results have been significant, improving the quality of life for those who participate in our programs.

11am PST | Long Break

Sessions will resume at 3pm PST

3pm PST | How Forest Therapy Fosters Inner Development - The Missing Piece in Sustainability with Amanda Yik and Noel Lam

If you have wondered how spending time in nature can be the best thing one can do to create a better, more sustainable future for all, this session may provide some pointers referencing the Inner Development Goals (IDG) Framework. Forest Therapy as a holistic wellbeing practice offers far beyond physical health benefits. It supports us to live purposeful, sustainable, and productive lives by cultivating a shift in human values and developing an inner life that fosters positive change.

This session is suitable for all who are interested in

– cultivating our inner capacity to deal with complexities

– exploring how forest therapy contributes to personal and environmental sustainability

– learning more about the IDGs as a framework for inner development

4pm PST | Panel Discussion: Talking the Walk: Effectively Communicating the Benefits of Nature with Mark A Campbell PhD, CWP, ANFT in conversation with Sara Espinoza and Susan Macino PhD, ANFT and Ryan Picarella

Humans need to connect with the “more than human world.” The health and wellness benefits of time in the natural world are well established, but how do we best communicate these benefits to those who need to hear them? In a time when we have more resources than ever before, we are the most unwell we have ever been as a species.

Join Dr. Mark A. Campbell, recognized wellness authority and Host of The Nature of Wellness ™️ Podcast as he moderates a unique panel of nature communicators. From national education programming to neuroscience and nature-focused media, these experts will discuss some of their unique methods of disseminating the power of being outside.

5pm PST | Beyond Doing, Beyond Understanding: A World Without Separation with Ben Page

In this 45-minute presentation, author, guide and scholar Ben Page will offer reflections on the nature of self and reality through the literary games of Zen Jakugo or ‘capping phrases.’ As a core component of Page’s eco-phenomenological approach to nature connection practices, these phrases push the reader to become more intimate with the world as it is, abandoning judgments that reinforce separateness and celebrating the incredible beauty and joy of the often-overlooked ordinary moments of our lives.

What took place:

Live sessions with international key note speakers
The science of nature relationship and wellbeing
Panel discussions on the application of Forest Therapy in specific populations
Community building
Fire side chats