Date/Time
Date(s) - April 21, 2026
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Categories
This event has reached maximum capacity! To be added to the waitlist, please email [email protected]. For more Forest Bathing opportunities, please see our public events calendar.
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Experience a guided forest bathing walk through Hoyt Arboretum’s unique tree collection and forested areas. Forest Bathing, also known as Forest Therapy, offers many health benefits from stress relief to immune system and mood support.
Forest therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. It is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, which translates to “forest bathing.” Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving mood and cognition. We build on those benefits and look beyond, to what happens when people remember that we are a part of nature, not separate from it, and are related to all other beings in fundamental ways.
This event is free for members, but class size is limited. Please register ahead.
Make sure your membership is up to date here!
About the Instructors:
Shawna Hartung (she/her) is a certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy with over 20 years of experience in environmental education, leading nature-based experiences for people of all ages. With a background in social work and a deep understanding of trauma-informed care, Shawna brings a gentle, compassionate presence to her walks—honoring each person’s unique journey and creating a space of psychological and emotional safety.
Ellen Weeks is a native Oregonian with a deep love for the forests of the Pacific Northwest. She holds an M.S. degree in Education from Portland State University, and is a certified Forest Therapy Guide by the Associate of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). The practice of forest bathing expands how she encounters the natural world, resulting in even deeper relations to not just the wilderness and its inhabitants, but to fellow humans.