INFTA’s fact-finding mission in Taiwan
In March 2025, INFTA‘s Executive Committee members, Susan Joachim and Dr. Dieter Kotte, were invited by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA), Ministry of Agriculture, to Taiwan on a fact-finding mission learn about Forest Therapy in Taiwan. The mission was organized by the Taiwan Forest Therapy Society. At a symposium conducted at FANCA’s headquarter in Taipei, FANCA’s Director General, Dr. Hwa-Ching Lin, welcomed INFTA’s representatives and expressed his hope that Forest Therapy – as an evidence-based Public health practice – could be developed further in Taiwan as a result of this mission. This expectation was shared wholeheartedly by Susan Joachim and Dr. Dieter Kotte.
INFTA’s fact-finding mission in Japan
In November 2024, INFTA‘s Executive Committee members, Susan Joachim and Dr. Dieter Kotte, were invited to Japan on a fact-finding mission to reset and restart Forest Therapy – referred to as “Shinrin-yoku” (森林浴) in Japanese. Invited by a group of business people, several site visits within the Tokyo Prefecture were conducted to evaluate their suitability for Forest Therapy. Among the places inspected were Hinohara Tomin-no-Mori, Showa Emperor Memorial Park and Komine Park in the West of Tokyo City. The Mayor of Hinohara-mura, Mr. Koji Yoshimoto, welcomed INFTA’s representatives in his office on 28 November 2024 and expressed his hope that health & wellbeing tourism could and will be strengthened in his region as a result of this mission.
INFTA leads important research
INFTA led a research group in Australia conducting an important clinical study. The aim of this project – funded with a grant by the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Region in Victoria – was to bring down stress levels of international students to improve their mental and physical health. Some 350 international students registered for one of 12 Forest Therapy sessions carried out between August and October 2024 at the centrally-located Royal Botanical Gardens Melbourne. The satisfaction level of students with Forest Therapy was overwhelming: an impressive 96.0 percent. More so the tension of international students dropped by more than 40%, their fatigue by more than 30% and their vigor increased by more than 20% after the standardized two-hour Forest Therapy session. As a result, Forest Therapy was recommended as a regular, evidence-based, effective and affordable intervention to alleviate stress and anxiety among (international) students.
Forest Therapy Guide Training in Victoria
The Institute of Forest Therapy, INFTA’s Accredited Training Provider in Australia, conducted another successful exclusive five-day, in-person workshop at Pallotti College in Victoria/Australia. Getting exposed to various weather conditions allowed the participants to familiarize themselves with the natural conditions Forest Therapy Guides experience when guiding participants outdoors in different seasons. Bringing together a wide range of professional competencies, the new training cohort began their six-months training highly motivated with a lot of team spirit. While the learning curve was steep – David Belli, IFT’s Lead Trainer conducted the practical learning components while INFTA’s Secretary & International Strategic Advisor, Dr. Dieter Kotte, was responsible for the overall conduct of the seminar and the theoretical learning components – everyone enjoyed the unique experience at the tranquil and ideally located setting of Pallotti College as well as the hospitality of its staff.
1st Forest Therapy Guide Training in Japan
Finally, Forest Therapy has come to Japan – courtesy of INFTA and the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. As a special incentive for the Public celebrating its 100th anniversary, INFTA offered the world’s first Forest Therapy Guide training at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. This exclusive international workshop was held 12-16 June 2024 with participants from Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Spain and Vietnam. While it was possible for Japanese to obtain a Shinrin-yoku guide certificate through some short courses offered online, a full-fledged, six-months mentored and supervised training to become qualified as INFTA-Certified and Accredited Forest Therapy Guides based on the International Core Curriculum of Forest Therapy was not available … until now! The exclusive training workshop attracted a lot of attention and, most definitely, will set new standards in Forest Therapy Guide training and recognition of this innovative profession in Japan. The next such training workshops in Japan are already in the pipeline due to the high demand. INFTA appreciates the recognition of its training standards in Japan, endorsed by the management of the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. INFTA expresses its gratitude for the outstanding support during the training workshop by Director Dr. Hiroshi Tobe and Deputy Director, Mr. Masanori Kobayashi.
Forest Therapy Meets Shinrin-yoku
The concept of Shinrin-yoku (“immersion in the forest”) was revived in modern times in the 1980s in Japan. Holiday and tourist locations in the mountains embraced Shinrin-yoku and dozens of “Forest Therapy Bases” sprung up across all prefectures in Japan. Despite several research efforts, especially led by Prof. Dr. Yoshifumi Miyazaki and his team at Chiba University, Shinrin-yoku, unfortunately, did not become an integral part of Japan’s national health system. But it was Professor Miyazaki who realized the potential and coined the English phrase “Forest Therapy”. This allowed for Shinrin-yoku to become more aware outside Japan. Now, Forest Therapy has returned to Japan – courtesy of INFTA and the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. As a special incentive for the Public celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Kyoto Botanical Garden invited interested participants to join several Forest Therapy sessions, conducted by INFTA during 12-16 June 2024, free-of-charge. All sessions were very well attended and participants from all across Japan enjoyed and learned about the health benefits of these professionally conducted Forest Therapy sessions. As a result, INFTA – together with Professor Miyazaki and his team – will spearhead renewed efforts to professionalize and standardize Forest Therapy for it to become an integral part of Japan’s advanced health system in the near future.
Forest Therapy for students
INFTA’s President, Susan Joachim, introduces Forest Therapy and the world’s first, campus-based Forest Therapy trail at Deakin University. The new Forest Therapy trail at the eco-friendly and nicely landscaped Waurn Ponds campus near Geelong, Victoria, offers the possibility for Forest Therapy sessions right on campus for students and staff. Enjoy the video below which is copyrighted and courtesy of Deakin University. https://infta.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/FT_Waurn_Ponds_Deakin_University_640x480.mp4
World’s first campus-based Forest Therapy trail open
The successful collaboration between INFTA’s experts and staff from Deakin University – the No. 1 university when it comes to educational experience in Victoria – bore fruit: the world’s first campus-based Forest Therapy trail, certified and accredited by INFTA, opened with a set of standardized Forest Therapy sessions led by INFTA’s President, Susan Joachim, on Monday, 15 April 2024. The new Forest Therapy trail at the eco-friendly and beautifully landscaped Waurn Ponds campus near Geelong, Victoria, offers the possibility for Forest Therapy sessions right on campus for students and staff. The first pilot study, led by Associate Professor Melissa O’Shea from the School of Psychology within the Faculty of Health, has measured to which degree students’ stress and anxiety levels were reduced by participating in a Forest Therapy session. The data collection during 10 Forest Therapy sessions, conducted successfully by INFTA-Certified and Accredited Forest Therapy Guides, was completed in May with results expected to be published later this year.
Forest Therapy for international students in Victoria
It is with great pleasure to learn that INFTA has been awarded a Study Melbourne Inclusion Program grant by the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions in Victoria to conduct Forest Therapy sessions for hundreds of international students. INFTA appreciates the support of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne where these sessions will be conducted in August 2024. The aim of the proposed project is to alleviate stress prevalent among international students and offer them an opportunity to connect with each other, develop an appreciation for the environment and become more nature-connected.
Another Forest Therapy Guide Training
Another introductory Forest Therapy Guide training workshop has been conducted successfully at the pristine location of the Pallotti College in the Yarra Valley outside Melbourne. Participants from Queensland, South Australia and Victoria enjoyed their first learning steps as part of the six-months supervised and mentored practicum utilizing our state-of-art INFTA Learning Management System. The brilliant weather helped greatly to prepare the new batch of trainees – this time round predominantly male participants – for their first guided Forest Therapy session, held free for the Public on Saturday, 9 March 2024. Wishing all Forest Therapy Guide trainees a successful completion of their practicum choosing their own, suitable Forest Therapy trail close to where they live.