April Lecture: Advances in forest therapy leading to better human health

Date: Apr 06, 2025 at 14:30
Meeting Location: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81179639025?pwd=xxtBKd78BDS6X49vzxHmVc7XdWcwYb.1

Join us on Sunday, April 6th at 2:30 PM for our April Lecture: Advances in forest therapy leading to better human health.

Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is a Japanese practice that emerged in 1982. It involves immersing yourself in a forest in a way that engages all of your senses. Various studies have indicated that forest therapy can have considerable health benefits. It can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It has also been shown to increase the potency of the human body’s natural “killer” cells, which fight viruses and cancer cells. It can also reduce stress and improve mental health. This panel will provide a summary of the most recent scientific research on the health benefits of forest therapy as well as insights from a professional Ontario-based guide, who leads groups into the woods to listen, smell, touch and taste what nature can offer.

Speakers:

Dr. Guangu Wang, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia

Beth Foster, ANFT Nature and Forest Therapy Guide

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 811 7963 9025

Passcode: 313450

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Toronto Field Naturalists wishes to acknowledge this Land through which we walk. For thousands of years, the Land has been shared by the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe. Toronto is situated on the Land within the Toronto Purchase, Treaty 13, the traditional and treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is also part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, a covenant agreement between Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Wendat peoples and allied nations to peaceably share the land and all its resources. Today, the Land is home to peoples of numerous nations. We are all grateful to have the opportunity to continue to care for and share the beauty of this Land.