FOREST FUSION
All proceeds support our work helping young people experiencing mental ill-health.
A combination of Forest Bathing and Nature Discovery near Brighton or Sussex.
‘Forest bathing’ or ‘taking in the forest atmosphere’ is known as Shinrin Yoku in Japan, where the practice emerged as an early intervention healthcare tool.
Being in nature not only makes you feel better psychologically but in the 1990s researchers began to recognise the many physiological benefits of Forest Bathing too.
By 2050 it is predicted that 66% of the population will live in cities. In human history, we have never been so far removed from the natural world. Forest Bathing can help us get back that deep connection we had with nature, in particular trees. Amid the woodland we are surrounded by therapeutic forces, including the natural chemical compounds trees release called phytoncides, that can strengthen our immune system. The colour green in particular, the natural shapes and the sounds of the woodland, have all been proved by scientific research to relax us. Forest Bathing helps activate our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode). Positive hormones are released in the body which can help you feel less anxious, sad or stressed. It can also improve heart and lung health and can even increase your concentration and memory.
In essence, Forest Bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a vast range of benefits for your physical, mental and emotional health. But to benefit from nature, we need to protect it, which is why we fuse Forest Bathing and Nature Discovery together.
A growing body of evidence informs us that our relationship with nature profoundly influences our behaviours towards the Earth. A lack of personal experiences in nature, a lack of understanding of ecosystem services and a lack of knowledge about our ancestral relationship to nature, limits our understanding of environmental challenges and the appropriate actions we need to take to address those challenges. Experiencing and learning from nature teaches us about ourselves, our mental habits and attitudes, our values and beliefs as well as about the environment.
Thank you so much for the amazing afternoon enjoyed by us all as part of the Marble Hill Revived Project. The forest bathing afternoon was fantastic! Smelling the dirt sent me right back to my father’s allotment that is now the rugby ground!
Thank you so much for bringing your amazing expertise to Marble Hill. I can’t wait to do our next project together and am so grateful for your time today to help enliven Marble Hill.
Rachel Morrison, English Heritage.
Nature Discovery is about noticing the daily changes in nature, identifying different plants and animals, perhaps learning why dead wood is so important, why fungi is vital to human survival, how a woodpecker protects its brain when hammering trunks or how ink made from oak galls was used to signe the Magna Carta. There is so much to learn and we can do it together.
Your session leader has degrees in wildlife conservation and environmental sustainable development, and is a qualified Forest Bathing Guide.
Price
Minimum price £245 for a group of up to 7 for a 2 hour session.
Additional adults £35 per person or 16 or under £20 per person.
Prices for additional activities are available on request. Please email for further details.
How to book
CREATE A BESPOKE EVENT:
Suitable for family and friends or why not arrange an event for your work colleagues. You can choose from extra activities such as foraging for plants to use as fabric dyes, making ink from oak wasp galls, building nest or bat boxes or cooking on an open fire. Please email for further details.
All proceeds support our work helping young people living with mental ill-health.
Some people feel the rain, others just get wet – Bob Marley