World Forum on Forest Therapy 2024

Committee Members

1. Committee Members

   • 
     Forum Chair: Prof. Dr. Won Sop Shin

     President
     Korea Forest Therapy Forum

     

     Won Sop Shin

     Professor of Forestry,
     Chgungbuk National University, Korea

     Won Sop Shin is a professor at Chungbuk National University in Korea and holding Chair of Korea Forest Therapy Forum. He also has an adjunct professorship in the Forest Resources Management at UBC in Canada. His main research interest is psychological benefits from forest and nature experiences. He is now leading Graduate Department of Forest Therapy at Chungbuk National University enrolling about 150 students in masters’ and Ph.D. programs. Won Sop Shin is also working actively with international organizations such as International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine.
     
     Research Field: Psycho-physiological benefits from forest use.

   • 
     Co-chair: Tae Hun Nam

     President
     Korea Forest Welfare Institute

     

     Tae Hun Nam

     President
     Korea Forest Welfare Institute

     2022 ~ present   President of Korea Forest Welfare Institute
     2021 ~ 2022   Deputy Minister of Korea Forest Service (KFS)
     2019 ~ 2021   Senior Expert of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Policy Committee
     2016 ~ 2017   President of National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service

2. Organizing Committee

   • 
     Chair: Prof. Dr. Won Sop Shin

     President
     Korea Forest Therapy Forum

     

     Won Sop Shin

     Professor of Forestry,
     Chgungbuk National University, Korea

     Won Sop Shin is a professor at Chungbuk National University in Korea and holding Chair of Korea Forest Therapy Forum. He also has an adjunct professorship in the Forest Resources Management at UBC in Canada. His main research interest is psychological benefits from forest and nature experiences. He is now leading Graduate Department of Forest Therapy at Chungbuk National University enrolling about 150 students in masters’ and Ph.D. programs. Won Sop Shin is also working actively with international organizations such as International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine.
     
     Research Field: Psycho-physiological benefits from forest use.

   • 
     Prof. Dr. Bum Jin Park

     Professor
     Chungnam National University

     

     Bum Jin Park

     Professor
     Chungnam National University

     Dr. Bum-Jin Park is a professor at Chungnam National University in Korea. He has two Ph.D. degrees in 'ergonomics of forest work' and 'forest therapy'. He has a lot of experience in research on the therapeutic effects of forest environments on the human body and mind using human physiological responses. His article titled “The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku: evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan” has been cited more than 1240 times. His main research interest is the relationship between the body and mind health of humans and the forest environment. He is researching to measure and evaluate the therapeutic environment of forest and design the therapeutic environment of the forest.

   • 
     Prof. Dr. Poung Sik Yeon

     Professor
     Chungbuk National University

     

     Poung Sik Yeon

     Professor of Forestry,
     Chgungbuk National University, Korea

     Poung Sik Yeon is a professor at Chungbuk National University in Korea.
     He has been working intensively in recreation forest, Healing forest, and forest welfare.
     Recently, research is being conducted on forest therapy and healing facility using urban forests.
     
     Research Field: Forest therapy and Forest welfare

   • 
     Dong Soo Lee

     Director
     Forest Welfare Service Institute

     

     Dong Soo Lee

     Director
     Forest Welfare Service Institute

     Updating(수정 중)

   • 
     Alex Gesse

     Executive Director
     Forest Therapy Hub (FTHub)

     

     Alex Gesse

     Executive Director
     Forest Therapy Hub (FTHub)

     Alex Gesse, born in Barcelona, serves as the Executive Director of the Forest Therapy Hub (FTHub) and as a Public Health and Forest advisor to several private and public institutions. He has also collaborated as a consultant specialist in the Expert Group on Human Health and Wellbeing for Forest Europe. Additionally, he serves on the board of the International Society of Forest Therapy.
     
     As an FTHub trainer, he has trained over 2000 guides and practitioners and led forest bathing walks and forest therapy interventions in over 20 countries across 6 continents. Alex co-leads FTHub's NATURELAB, a research project funded by the European Union focusing on the design, implementation, and validation of nature-based therapies. With an interdisciplinary team, he has developed The FTHub Method and the Liquid Interactions Model (LIM) for Forest Therapy, integrating scientific evidence with traditional nature-connectedness approaches. He has also developed manualized programs for health prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation through pilot projects and research collaborations with universities and institutions.
     
     Alex has delivered lectures and participated in international congresses at various prestigious institutions worldwide. He is an author and co-author of several books and key scientific publications.

   • 
     Prof. Dr. Guangyu Wang

     Associate Dean & Professor
     University of British Columbia

     

     Guangyu Wang

     Associate Dean & Professor
     University of British Columbia

     Dr. Guangyu Wang is an Associate Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, and Director of the UBC’s Multidisciplinary Institute of Natural Therapy (MINT), and Director National Park Research Centre. He has been working intensively in national parks, recreation management, and ecotourism development in the USA, Canada, and China. He brings extensive experience in protected areas research and project leadership while successfully managing $4 million in research projects over the last ten years. He has completed several research projects on forest therapy and its contribution to both social and environmental wellness. Currently, his MINT team is mainly focused on the effectiveness of forest soundscape, lightscape, and viewscape on human health and wellbeing. He works very closely with Forest Therapy Hub, ANFT, Korea Forest Welfare Institute, China Forest Therapy Committee, BC Cancer Research Center, and the UBC School of Medicine.
     He is the author of numerous books, chapters, technical reports, and scientific papers, including around 100 peer-reviewed international journals. He serves as an Associate Editor of Journals of Forestry Research, Frontier of Ecology and Evolution, Forests, and many others, and Director of Asia Pacific Forestry Education Coordination Mechanism.

   • 
     Dr. Tamberly Conway

     CEO
     Conservation Conexions

     

     Dr. Tamberly Conway

     CEO
     Conservation Conexions

     Updating(수정 중)

   • 
     Asst. Prof. Dr. Darija Cvikl

     The Institute for Forest Tourism,
     Climate Resorts and Sustainable
     Development (IFT) and International
     School for Social and Business Studies

     

     Darija Cvikl

     The Institute for Forest Tourism,
     Climate Resorts and Sustainable
     Development (IFT) and International
     School for Social and Business Studies

     Assoc. Prof. Dr. Darija Cvikl, PhD is dedicated to institutionalising Forest Therapy Tourism as a specific type of destination and has obtained a doctorate in this field. At the International Faculty of Social and Business Studies, Slovenia she has been appointed as Associate Professor of Sustainable Tourism Management and research collaborator. She is also employed at the College of Hospitality, Wellness, and Tourism in Bled, Slovenia. She serves as a member of the International Society of Forest Therapy (ISFT) Presidency and as a Governor of Slovenia: https://isft.info/about/. In 2023, also as a Head Coordinator and a member of Scientific Committee of 5. International Congress of Forest and its Health Potential, in Slovenia. She is a member of the Council for Tourism in Natural Environments of the Republic of Slovenia and the author of scientific and professional contributions on the topic of Forest Therapy Tourism. Over the last five years, she has conducted three significant research projects in the field of forest tourism and has contributed to the definition of tourism in a forest as a specific type of tourism. She has also developed an attribution model for the tourist attractiveness of the forest. In 2023, she was appointed as the director of the Institute for Forest Tourism and Climate Resorts and Sustainable Development, which is dedicated to education and research in the field of Forest Tourism.

   • 
     Dr.Zhiling Wang

     Asst.Prof.
     Forestry Department, Shanxi Agricultural University

     

     Dr.Zhiling Wang

     Asst.Prof.
     Forestry Department, Shanxi Agricultural University

     Zhiling Wang is an Associate Professor in the Forestry Department at Shanxi Agricultural University. She holds a jointly awarded PhD from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Northwest A&F University. She is a certified Forest Therapist by the Chinese Forestry Society.
     Dr. Wang has delivered academic presentations on forest rehabilitation at several prestigious international events, including the first International Seminar sponsored by the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, the inaugural academic conference organized by the Japanese Forest Medical Association, the 9th National Nature Education Forum in China, the International Seminar on Forest Rehabilitation held in South Korea, and the 2024 Maritime Silk Road International Exchange Conference.
     As the Vice President of the Chinese Medicine and Nutrition Health Branch of the Alumni Association of Shanxi Agricultural University, she has led over 10 forest health activities for retired employees. She also organized and planned the first Nature Education Competition at Shanxi Agricultural University. Under her guidance, her students won the Silver Award in the 13th "Challenge Cup" Shanxi Entrepreneurial Plan Competition and the Provincial Bronze Award in the 2024 International College Student Innovation Competition.
     Dr. Wang has contributed to the compilation of textbooks such as Science of Forest Health Resources, Forest Health Management, and Forest Health Curriculum Design. Additionally, she has published more than ten academic papers.

   • 
     Chang Jae Lee

     Vis. Prof.
     Chungbuk National University

     

     Chang Jae Lee

     Vis. Prof.
     Chungbuk National University

     Updating(수정 중)

3. Scientific Committee

   • 
     Prof. Dr. Bum Jin Park

     Professor
     Chungnam National University

     

     Bum Jin Park

     Professor
     Chungnam National University

     Dr. Bum-Jin Park is a professor at Chungnam National University in Korea. He has two Ph.D. degrees in 'ergonomics of forest work' and 'forest therapy'. He has a lot of experience in research on the therapeutic effects of forest environments on the human body and mind using human physiological responses. His article titled “The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku: evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan” has been cited more than 1240 times. His main research interest is the relationship between the body and mind health of humans and the forest environment. He is researching to measure and evaluate the therapeutic environment of forest and design the therapeutic environment of the forest.

   • 
     Prof. Dr. Poung Sik Yeon

     Professor
     Chungbuk National University

     

     Poung Sik Yeon

     Professor of Forestry,
     Chgungbuk National University, Korea

     Poung Sik Yeon is a professor at Chungbuk National University in Korea.
     He has been working intensively in recreation forest, Healing forest, and forest welfare.
     Recently, research is being conducted on forest therapy and healing facility using urban forests.
     
     Research Field: Forest therapy and Forest welfare

   • 
     Dr. Rhee hwa Yoo

     National Institute of Forest Science

     

     Rhee hwa Yoo

     Dr. Rhee Hwa Yoo
     National Institute of Forest Science
     Director of Forest Human Service Research
     Senior Scientist (Ph.D.)

     Dr. Rhee Hwa Yoo has conducted research on forest recreation, leading to the development of policies in forest therapy and forest welfare. Dr. Rhee Hwa Yoo is particularly interested in research that integrates forests with all fields of human services aimed at improving the quality of life, with the goal of allowing more people to enjoy the benefits that forests offer.

   • 
     Dr. Gisela Immich

     Chair, Public Health and Health Services Research,
     Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich

     

     Gisela_Immich

     Chair, Public Health and Health Services Research,
     Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich

     After completing the B.Sc. in Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the M.Sc. in Diagnosis, Intervention and Prevention across the Lifespan, Dr Immich completed her Ph.D. at LMU in 2017. She is a nationally and internationally recognized researcher in forest bathing and forest therapy, a certified Forest Therapy Guide (ANFT), an INFOM trainee in forest medicine, a nature-based mindfulness practitioner and co-founder of the Competence Centre for Forest Medicine and Nature Therapy (Bad Wörishofen). She works with clinics and universities to implement Forest Therapy into the healthcare system. She also gives lectures and workshops on forest bathing and forest therapy. She is also an expert in traditional European naturopathy, health resort medicine and chronobiology.

   • 
     Prof. Dr. Wei-Yin (Leo) Chang

     Professor
     Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University

     

     Wei-Yin (Leo) Chang

     Professor
     Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University

     Dr. Wei-yin Chang (LEO), Deputy Director of Department of Forestry, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and serving as a Director of the Laboratory of Virtual Teaching and Research on Forest Therapy Specialty of Taiwan Strait and Forest Therapy Class. Graduated from Department of Forestry, National Chung Hsing University, and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow of Beijing Forestry University, and Laboratory of Outdoor Education, National Academy for Education Research. Mainly engaged in the study of forest therapy benefits, community forestry and rural revitalization planning, ecotourism planning and management and etc. Currently serve as the Commissioner and Deputy Secretary General of the Forest Therapy Branch of the Chinese Forestry Society, Commissioner of the Taiwan Forest Therapy Society, Executive Commissioner of the Fujian Environmental Education Society, and Vice President of the Fujian Green Science and Technology Culture Promotion Association.

   • 
     Norimasa Takayama

     Principal Researcher
     Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute

     

     Norimasa Takayama

     Principal Researcher
     Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute

     Dr. Norimasa TAKAYAMA leads the Forest Space Utilization Promotion Team at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan. He is also a lecturer at the University of Tokyo and the University of Tsukuba and an advisor to the Japan Forest Forum, a non-profit organization. He holds two degrees (Ph.D. (Agriculture) and Ph.D. (Psychosomatic Health Science)) and has been involved in research on the psychological effects and physical characteristics of forest environment about forest therapy in Japan since the early days of the field.

   • 
     Katarzyna Simonienko

     PhD. MD.
     Operator of Centrum TerapiiLasem

     

     Katarzyna Simonienko

     PhD. MD.
     Operator of Centrum TerapiiLasem

     Psychiatrist, forest bathing guide, a founder and director of Forest Therapy Center in Poland (www.forest-therapy.pl), a vice-president of Polish Forest Bathing Association. Author of 3 books on forest therapy (“Forest therapy in research and practice”-over 170 articles review, practical medical knowledge and experience), co-author of 2 ecotherapy books (‘Ecopsychiatry’, ‘Nature and mental health’). Main scientific interests: the impact of forest therapy on human health and potential of forest therapy in anxiety, depression and stress related disorders treatment.

   • 
     Dr.Ulrika K. Stigsdotter

     Prof.
     Nature, Health & Design, University of Copenhagen

     

     Dr.Ulrika K. Stigsdotter

     Prof.
     Nature, Health & Design, University of Copenhagen

     Updating(수정 중)