Stewardship Articles

Certified Forest Therapy Trails can become modern third places, offering restorative spaces where people build belonging, connection, place attachment, and a deeper relationship with the living world. In a time of loneliness, burnout, remote work, and digital overload, these trails offer more than wellness - they can help strengthen community and public health.

What It Means to Be “In Relationship with Nature”

In forest therapy, we often say the forest is the therapist, the guide opens the door. Yet the deeper invitation is not only stress reduction or relaxation—it is remembering how to be in relationship again. As Jacques Cousteau wisely said, “People protect what they love.” When we slow down long enough to feel connected to the living world, care often arises naturally. Connection can become stewardship. Presence can become belonging.

Every time I guide a forest therapy walk, I learn something new—about nature, about others, and about myself. This past weekend was no exception. I had the privilege of leading a diverse group through the Golden Gate Redwood Memorial Grove , a space filled with towering giants and quiet wisdom. What made this walk even more special was that my son, who has been helping behind the scenes, joined me for the experience.

The more I practice and share forest therapy, the more I feel like myself—at home while out in beautiful places. I literally feel my breathing slow, my mind let go, and my body relax. Nature is steadfast, always there for us, a place to find an even keel, to cultivate equanimity simply through the practice of noticing—mindfulness in nature through sensorial activation, also known as forest bathing.

Rooted in Nature: What We Can Learn from Eucalyptus and Redwoods