Global Institute of Forest Therapy
London, Canada Canada London, ON, Canada

I (Ben here) just finished a great live interview on forest therapy. I led a highly ethical and professional CBC journalist, Talia Ricci, into the gorgeous ravine forests of Sunnybrook Park in Toronto. The interview will air on CBC Radio's Metro Morning likely Monday. I'll post the link; "How to Enhance Our Seemingly Repetitive Walks During the Pandemic with Forest Therapy."

I just finished a great live interview on forest therapy. I led a highly ethical and professional CBC journalist, Talia Ricci, into the gorgeous ravine forests of Sunnybrook Park in Toronto. The interview will air on CBC Radio's Metro Morning likely Monday. I'll post the link; "How to Enhance Our Seemingly Repetitive Walks During the Pandemic with Forest Therapy."

Join us for GIFT Live this Friday @ 12:30 EST as we explore the beautiful practice of Sit Spot.

Interesting and yet hard to read in many areas for the loss of the giant trees. https://www.messynessychic.com//when-americans-lived-in-t/

https://emergencemagazine.org/story/our-unknowing/

EVENT GOING AHEAD IN IRELAND Moving into level 3 update: With a shifting landscape of restrictions and hesitancy and uncertainty around connection at the moment, it feels particularly special to be able to offer a chance for rich connection with each other and the rest of the natural world through this offering. Level 3 guidelines will be in place for all counties, which includes staying within your own county except for work,education or other essential purposes. We feel very comfortable and clear that this event is for educational purposes.

Another great article posted by Susan Joachim https://neurosciencenews-com.cdn.ampproject.org//awe-/amp/

Horay! https://www.cbc.ca//tor/brown-girl-outdoor-world-1.5731136

https://timberfestival.org.uk/soundsoftheforest-soundmap/

Thanks Susan for making this standout to us! https://www.theatlantic.com//five-ways-to-make-the-o/3019/

Hello, below is the link for the conversation today on our BIPOC, Black Lives Matter Allyship Conversation. Please join in anytime between 10am and 10pm, today, June 20th, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/GIFT-BIPOC-BLM-Allyship-Conversation-100789405012304/?modal=admin_todo_tour

"GIFT’S BLACK LIVES MATTER PUBLIC STATEMENT We watched with pain the murder of George Floyd, and with hope the rising of voices for fundamental change across all aspects of our societies. GIFT stands in solidarity with all those who value diversity, embrace inclusion, and recognize the fundamental dignity of all beings.... In addition to solidarity, we would love to join the conversation about what is allyship from the place of Forest Therapy? What is action? What is overstepping? What serves? Ways Forest Therapy Can Serve Through: Its foundation in Council and Nature Connection that deeply acknowledges non-separation and equality for all beings Guided walks and Nature Connection that can offer space and a process for overtaxed nervous systems Guided walks we can offer allyship in providing a group space in nature and nature can support deep emotion and grief But, how do we serve? Maybe offering allyship with local BIPOC (black, indigenous, and persons of colour) groups and co-creating walks? What are other ways to serve? We also wonder how to serve safely during the pandemic. GIFT has not entered into active leadership in the BLM (Black Lives Matter) conversation because we are acutely aware that we are a small non-profit with limited capacity at the moment. But this time calls for allyship and action. We know our community is wondering how to serve and without imposing our ideas, we would love to engage a grass roots led brainstorming to understand how Forest Therapy, and Guides can carry this work forward. We would like to engage a conversation. If you feel called, we invite you to join us on Facebook on Saturday, June 20th. You can go to the Facebook Page (see next post for URL) anytime June 20th between 10a and 10p EST to share in the comments ideas and explore how Forest Therapy can serve. We may not be able to jump on all the ideas in the conversation, but we would like to invite respectful dialogue to explore how Forest Therapy can be a part of the cultural shift in a respectful way. We encourage guides, our BIPOC community, and allies, to explore how we can encourage and support our BIPOC communities. How do we reflect and encourage diversity? How can we serve as guides? Within our FB community there may be connections created or ideas that get sparked and take a life of their own within the group. Action that can grow. At the same time, we will be looking inward. In a couple of weeks, after being a part of those grassroots conversations, we will post distilled learnings and our own deepened implementation of allyship. Our hearts reach out to those affected by racism and inequity in all the ways it is found. Many of us in our own personal ways. For those engaging with us in conversation, thanks for exploring the ways in which we can serve as better allies through Forest Therapy.

The following was posted a couple of days ago but somehow flagged by FB and withheld. "GIFT’S BLACK LIVES MATTER PUBLIC STATEMENT We watched with pain the murder of George Floyd, and with hope the rising of voices for fundamental change across all aspects of our societies....Continue reading

A great read and listen that was right under my nose from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, but I missed it in May. Thanks Susan Joachim for altering is. Enjoy. https://www-cbc-ca.cdn.ampproject.org//www.c/amp/1.5590273

GIFT's Black Lives Matter Public Statement We watched with pain the murder of George Floyd, and with hope the rising of voices for fundamental change across all aspects of our societies. GIFT stands in solidarity with all those who value diversity, embrace inclusion, and recognize the fundamental dignity of all beings. ...Continue reading

https://www.nytimes.com//coronavirus-social-distancing-loc

A great article as it talks about getting kids nature connected so they become great adults for the environment. https://www.cnn.com//nature-makes-children-happ/index.html

https://lithub.com/letting-birdsong-fill-this-new-pandemic/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-we-learn-to-figh/

A great graphic posted by Susan Joachim in LinkedIn.