Forest Therapy Walk - Sept. 12 at 8:30 AM
At Waterfield Preserve, entrance left of the cemetery
Led by Claire Timmer, Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Certified Guide.
Space is limited. Please reserve your spot by email.
clairetimmer40@gmail.com
What Is Forest Therapy?
Have you ever noticed how you feel after spending time in the woods? Maybe your shoulders relax, your breathing slows, and the worries you've been carrying don't seem quite as heavy.
Forest therapy is about creating the time and space for more of those moments.
It's not a hike, a fitness class, or a nature lecture. There's no destination to reach and nothing to accomplish. Instead, it's a guided walk where we intentionally slow down and experience the natural world through our senses.
Along the way, you'll receive simple invitations to notice what's around you
—and within you. You might pause to listen to the wind moving through the trees, feel the texture of bark beneath your hand, watch the dance of
sunlight across the leaves, or simply enjoy a few moments of quiet. There's no right or wrong way to experience it. You are free to engage in whatever
way feels comfortable and meaningful to you.
The approach we use comes from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and its founder, Amos Clifford, who reminds us that "The forest is
the therapist. The guide opens the doors." As your guide, my role isn't to teach or interpret nature. It's to offer gentle invitations and create a welcoming space where you can develop your own relationship with the woods.
In today's busy world, many of us spend our days moving from one task to the next. Forest therapy offers something different—a chance to slow down,
breathe deeply, and remember what it feels like to simply be.
Research has shown that spending mindful time in nature can lower stress, improve mood, support the immune system, and help us feel more
balanced. But many people say the greatest gift is harder to measure. They leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more connected—to themselves, to the
people around them, and to the living world.
You don't need any experience.
You don't need to be especially fit. You don't even have to consider yourself an "outdoorsy" person. All you need is a little curiosity and a willingness to slow down.
The woods will take care of the rest.