Forest & Nature Therapy walks with Kelly Hutchison,  ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide.
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
(Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Courtenay-Comox)
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All images are copyright protected by Dave Hutchison Photography.  For image use requests please contact Dave through his website.
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I have always felt a profound bond with trees—they have been like family to me for as long as I can remember. In 2018, I traveled to California to become certified as a Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). After returning, I founded Salish Sea Nature Connections on Salt Spring Island, where I spent nine years living among the forests of the Salish Sea. In 2024, I made the move to stunning Vancouver Island, first living in the Greater Victoria area, and now making my permanent home in the peaceful oceanside community of Qualicum Beach.

With a deep commitment to whole-body wellness, I have been working in the healing arts for nearly two decades. My path began in 2006 with Reiki and later expanded to include ThetaHealing and Holistic Nutrition. Today, I hold certifications as a Forest Therapy Guide, Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.), ThetaHealing teacher and practitioner, and Reiki Master. In 2020, forest therapy practice reignited my creative spark, inspiring me to return to painting after a 20-year pause and to begin writing again. I now share my work as both a visual artist, published author and wellness guide.

I am also the BC Regional Representative for, and active member of Nature & Forest Therapy Canada (NFTC/SINC), a non-profit dedicated to supporting certified guides and promoting the healing benefits of forest therapy across the country.

​Together with my husband, wildlife and nature photographer Dave Hutchison, we offer guided forest therapy walks and photography tours on Vancouver Island. Whether you are passionate about nature, love photography, or simply want to slow down and connect with the land, we would be honoured to share this experience with you. Please reach out to discuss possible options.
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Join me for a mindful walk in the forest and discover the healing power of nature.

May the forest be with you,
Kelly Hutchison 
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Port Renfrew, BC, March 2024
"The feeling of well-being we get from spending time in the woods is more than psychological. Trees release antimicrobial chemicals in the the air called phytoncides to help defend themselves against harmful insects and germs.  These chemicals are closely related to essential oils. That wonderfully intoxicating scent of cedar, for example, is the result of phytoncides. When we breathe the forest air, phytoncides stimulate our "natural killer cells," white blood cells in our bodies that attack tumors and viruses. 

So, when you walk among the trees, your immune system gets a boost from the trees' own medicine." 
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​~Hannah Fries. Forest Bathing Retreat:  find wholeness in the company of trees.

“Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields...Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.”

​ ​― Mary Oliver