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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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. [© 2024 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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
