Social Forestry

Social Forestry is a broad term that covers all aspects of people partaking and benefitting from the woodland environment and the various activities it offers. The joy of Social Forestry is its flexibility: The activities fit the needs of the individuals. Some times, just being in the woods is enough. This ‘being’ is referred to as ‘Forest Bathing’ (or ‘Shinrin-yoku’) and has found its way into our culture from Japan, where nature therapy has ancient roots that still thrive in their culture. But others may be seeking different experiences: foraging, traditional woodland crafts, sustainable land management education, nature experiences, outdoor cooking - to name but a few. The important thing is that these are shared experiences between a group of people, as these shared experiences within a small community brings about an even deeper sense of wellbeing for the individuals involved, with it taking place in a woodland evoking powerful and innate feelings.

Examples of different groups that we have worked with to deliver one-day sessions involve:

Young Adults
Adults with Additional Needs
Adults of All Abilities
Foreign Visitors

Please get in touch to enquire about your group’s needs and we will endeavour to fulfil this.

Long-Term Sessions:

The benefits of Social Forestry are huge, and eco-therapy has now earnt itself substantial research investment globally with the NHS now using Social Forestry for treatment and recovery programmes for patients with a range of health conerns. Social Forestry need not be a treatment programme though, it can be a prevention programme to help ease symptoms before they become problematic for people. Some of the health issues that Social Forestry is prescribed to is anxiety, loneliness, weight concerns, high-blood pressure, stress, depression - to name but a few. There is a large body of research giving weight to these, confirming that just being in a woodland lowers blood pressure and brings about a range of positive health improvements (there is a large volume of articles on this subject on the The National Library of Medicine website, and Forestry Commission’s Forest Research page). Should you want to discuss the possibility of implementing a long-term Social Forestry programme please get in touch and we can work together to meet your needs.