Forest & Nature Therapy walks with Kelly Hutchison,  ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide.
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) on Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island & the Gulf Islands of BC.

​All images are copyright protected by Dave Hutchison Photography.  For image use requests please contact Dave through his website.

What Happens on a Forest Therapy Walk?


Forest bathing walks are not a naturalist walk or a hike.  There is no plant or animal identification, and no agenda.  Walks move slowly over a gentle landscape and are usually 1 km or less in length. For this reason the practice of forest therapy is accessible to people of all fitness levels, ages and abilities.  Walks are typically between two and three hours in length.  As a guide, I will offer you a series of invitations to open-up your senses and become deeply immersed in your surroundings.  Invitations are a method that guides use to help participants find their connection with the natural world and the healing powers of the forest.  Guides help participants to slow down, become more mindful and assist in creating a deeper connection with self, others, and nature beings. Your experience will always be personal to you, and invitations are just suggestions to help you interact with the forest in a unique way.  All guided forest therapy walks are then concluded with the sharing of tea brewed from local plants, and healthy snacks.  This final offering further strengthens our sense of community and connection. 

Benefits of Regular Forest Therapy Walks:
  • Decreases stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels.
  • Boosts the immune system by increasing natural killer cells.
  • Heightens mood and enhances creativity.
  • Improves sleep and increases energy levels.​
  • Helps you to feel a greater sense of peace and calm.
  • Deepens your connection with yourself, others and the natural world around you.

​Learn more about forest therapy on the about page.
dendrophile ~someone who loves trees and forests
"Yes, trees are the foundation of forests, but a forest is much more than what you see...Underground there is this other world, a world of infinite biological pathways that connect trees and allow them to communicate and allow the forest to behave as though it's a single organism.  It might remind you of a sort of intelligence." `Suzanne Simard, forest ecologist, University of British Columbia.  Forest Bathing Retreat, Hannah Fries.