Forest Therapy in Germany and the EU
Jointly with its European partner organisation, INFTA (Germany), INFTA and its Accredited Training Provider, the Institute of Forest Therapy, have successfully completed another five-day, face-to-face practical training workshop in Europe. This “Fachseminar Klinische Waldtherapie” (Forest Therapy Introduction) has been conducted in May 2023 at the picturesque and historic town of Wernigerode at the Eastern slopes of the Harz Mountains. This area is famous for its dense forests and meandering creeks, offering an ideal location for Forest Therapy Guide training. Supported greatly by the local council and forester, our trainees and lecturers – led by INFTA’s President, Susan Joachim – enjoyed the practical experiences of Forest Therapy. The specific challenge mastered successfully by the trainees was to conduct three-hour Forest Therapy sessions for the Public. All participants enjoyed these free-of-charge Forest Therapy events – even with a bit of rain falling. Participants and Forest Therapy trainees alike were taken aback by the rich nature of the Harz Mountains with a multitude of fauna and flora. Rest-assured the workshop participants from Germany, Austria and Australia all had a great time and … learned a lot.
2023 Ottawa Awards
INFTA’s Advisory Board member, Dr Owen Wiseman, has been announced the winner of the 2023 Ottawa Awards. In Canada, the Ottawa Awards constitute the national capital region’s largest and most anticipated annual award event. Dr Wiseman has been named “Health Educator of the Year” in this prestigious Canadian award. His accomplishments were second to none with regards to bolstering social services by providing regular social media feeds and blogs about the health benefits of nature, natural products and living healthily. He was specifically lauded for “translating” complex medical and physiological findings into a clear layman language – which everyone can readily understand when browsing social media seeking health advice. INFTA congratulates Dr Wiseman to his accomplishments in Canada and beyond.
Professional Development Day – Sydney 2023
While the colourful Sydney “Mardi Gras” Pride Parade 2023 was going on in the city, Forest Therapy Guides from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria gathered at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney – located in view of the Sydney Opera – for an important Professional Development Day. As part of INFTA’s Continuous Professional Development (CPD), INFTA’s President, Susan V. Joachim, herself met with about two dozen Forest Therapy Guides. In a recent move to improve Public awareness of Forest Therapy in New South Wales, INFTA and its Accredited Training Provider, the Institute of Forest Therapy, have taken charge of the marketing of Forest Therapy sessions across the three botanic gardens in and around Sydney which are managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. No doubt, this important step will see a significant rise in Forest Therapy events – public and private – across Sydney and New South Wales. Thus, the focus of the Professional Development Day in Sydney was how the Public can be made aware about the manifold physical and mental health benefits of Forest Therapy. Hot but sunny weather complemented the successful event.
Forest Therapy Guide Training – anywhere, any time
INFTA has taken the next important step in promoting Forest Therapy as an evidence-based Public Health practice globally. Since January 2023, the new, innovative and exclusively online-based INTA-Certified Forest Therapy Guide training has been made available to our international audience. It is the world’s first online-based, supervised and mentored training in Forest Therapy designed to render a maximum of learning environment, curricular finesse and, thus, learning success. This is made possible utilizing and advancing the fantastic training options available in the INFTA Learning Management System (LMS). So, start your training any time, anywhere! The INFTA LMS sets the global standard in training Forest Therapy Guides professionally and successfully. At the same time and by relying on the efficiency of the high-end, AI-powered training software behind the INFTA LMS, it became possible to reduce the training costs for interested applicants significantly – while still offering superior training results conforming to the International Core Curriculum of Forest Therapy (ICCFT) – the world’s curricular “gold standard” in training professional INFTA-Accredited and Certified Forest Therapy Guides.