Forest Therapy in Tasmania/Australia (October 2021)

Elspeth Brock, one of the first INFTA-Certified and Accredited Forest Therapy Guides has settled down successfully into her new career in Tasmania, the southernmost state of Australia. She was instrumental in organizing and conducting Forest Therapy sessions during the Oldina Family Nature Day, which was a joint partnership of Shinrin Yoku North West and Live Well Tasmania funded by the Mental Health Council of Tasmania. The theme of awareness, belonging and nature connection was explored and enjoyed by the local community with various activities including guided Forest Therapy walks. Well done, Elspeth!

PS: the small orange tag tied to a young Eucalypt tree reads “I love you, tree” and was the idea of a five-year-old girl! INFTA is certain that the tree did not mind to be tagged this way!

Meeting the Founder of Narana – Uncle Vincent Ross (May 2021)

It has been a real privilege for INFTA’s President, Susan V. Joachim, to have been welcomed and greeted by Uncle Vincent Ross, a Mutti Mutti elder and the founder of the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The Institute of Forest Therapy, INFTA’s Accredited Training Provider in Australia and Asia, has recently moved some office space to this cultural centre.

Much like most people on this planet, Uncle Vincent Ross, has been unfortunate to lose his connection to the land, which is the land of his forefathers and the many forefathers before in his younger days. He had, very personally, gone through a lot of personal hardships but, eventually, found his way ‘back home’. Due to his relentless efforts, the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre was established in 1998 and developed into a well-recognized place far beyond the borders of Geelong or Victoria.

Narana – means deep listening and understanding

Narana encourages reconciliation and respect of culture through helping to create positive models for engagement and important dialogue around issues of National Reconciliation, a prevalent issue in Australia. INFTA is proud to support this process and to create respect for the Aboriginal culture and heritage as it was that culture – grown over tens of thousands of years – which lived in harmony with land and nature.

Book in Focus: International Handbook of Forest Therapy (March 2021)

Cambridge Scholars Publishing has just released a special feature, the “Book in Focus: International Handbook of Forest Therapy” showcasing the international relevance of the topic – and importance of this handbook for researchers, Forest Therapy Guides and stakeholders interested in Forest Therapy as a Public health practice. In this blog, INFTA’s Secretary and Editor-in-Chief of the handbook, Dr. Dieter Kotte, allows a unique glimpse behind the scenes of how this scientific milestone was produced as a collaborative and successful international venture.

More so, the publisher, Cambridge Scholars Publishing in the UK, offers a special promotional rebate of 25% (!) for anyone wishing to order the International Handbook of Forest Therapy. Go for it…. and take the book with you to read at your sit spot in the forest!

Partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (November 2020)

INFTA is pleased to announce that the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, New South Wales, has signed an Agreement for the Provision of Services with the Institute of Forest Therapy, INFTA’s Accredited Training Provider in Australia. As part of this agreement, regular Forest Therapy sessions will now be offered at all three locations in and around Australia’s most populated city, Sydney:

• The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden – Mount Tomah
• The Australian Botanic Garden – Mount Annan
• The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

The first Public Forest Therapy events have resumed at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. If interested you can book your Forest Therapy event right here. Forest Therapy sessions at the other two locations will start in early 2021. All three locations, are open to corporate, private and school bookings, too.

If you are interested to become an INFTA-Certified and Accredited Forest Therapy Guide operating at those new locations, please apply here.

Anti-viral properties of essential oils and phytoncides  (June 2020)

The latest research from INFTA’s Advisory Board Member, Prof. Dr. David Wang, and colleagues from the National Chung Hsing University in collaboration with Bio-Jourdeness International Groups Co. Ltd. and the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, in Taiwan identified very interesting and promising anti-viral properties of specific phytoncides in essential oils. The researchers found that the active compounds in geranium and lemon essential oils are able to downregulate Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding protein, in epithelial cells. As you are aware, SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the current COVID-19 epidemic.

While this does not mean that inhaling geranium of lemon oil will work as a vaccine against any COVID-19 infection, the important finding demonstrates the immense biochemical potential inherent in natural substances. The findings suggest that selected phytoncides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may, indeed, contribute to strengthening the human immune system in ways previously not thought possible. No doubt, key findings like that should translate into further research into the medical properties of Forest Therapy. INFTA congratulates David and his team to this innovative breakthrough in biochemistry/biophysiology!

Forest Therapy and Coronavirus Pandemic (March 2020)

INFTA has received a lot of inquiries if and to which degree Forest Therapy as a preventive Public health practice may be able to assist in combating the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. INFTA wishes to underline that Forest Therapy exposes participants to inhaling a very diverse range of phytoncides when walking under the canopy of trees. These phytoncides bolster the human immune system. However, while some phytoncides have anti-viral properties (see, for example, Astani & Schnitzler 2014 and Pertino et al 2018), there is no known phytoncide, terpene or volatile organic compound (VOC) that destroys directly the new SARS-CoV (Coronavirus). SARS-CoV causes the medical condition referred to by the WHO as COVID-19. However, INFTA recommends to walk in nature and in forests regularly and to participate in Forest Therapy events to strenghten your immune system, physical and mental well-being. INFTA wishes everyone affected by COVID-19 a speedy and full recovery.

Devastating Bush Fires in Australia (January 2020)

INFTA regrets the massive loss of life, environment and habitat caused by the raging bush fires in Australia. From an international perspective and being concerned about Public health and the lifestyle of people, INFTA urges governments and responsible stakeholders to pay attention to the immense value of our environment, in particular the health benefits natural forests provide. Losing millions of hectares of forests and bush in Australia coupled with the tragic loss of life of people, wildlife and fauna is a human and environmental catastrophe. It should remind us to have better preventive measures and policies in place. We – the people and communities – have to take immediate action to prevent such avoidable environmental destruction from happening again. As much as we need the forests for our very own health and well-being, the forests need us – now!

INFTA 2019 Graduation Ceremony (November 2019)

Samantha Dunn, former State Member of Parliament in Victoria and a Member of INFTA’s Advisory Board was the Guest of Honour at the 2019 Graduation Ceremony of INFTA-Certified and Accredited Forest Therapy Guides. The Graduation Ceremony was held during yet another successfully completed INFTA Forest Therapy Introduction at Pallotti College, located in the scenic Yarra Valley outside Melbourne.

International Handbook of Forest Therapy (December 2019)

INFTA is proud to announce the publication of the International Handbook of Forest Therapy (IHFT). The handbook is released by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in the UK.

The IHFT is the collaborative work of some 50 authors, edited by Dr. Dieter Kotte (editor-in-chief; Secretary and International Strategic Advisor, INFTA), Prof. Dr. Qing Li (co-editor; Nippon Medical School, Japan), Prof. Dr. Won Sop Shin (co-editor; Chungbuk University, Republic of Korea) and Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen (co-editor; Chair of Clinical Integrative Medicine, Charité-University Medical School, Germany).

The International Handbook of Forest Therapy is available as hardcover and digital copy through all common sales channels.