3rd World Forum on Forest Therapy

Program Facilitator & Program

1. Awakening Inner Resilience through the Forest

   

   Eun-a Kim (Republic of Korea)
   Director, Eochi Forest
   
   A certified Forest Therapy Instructor and Forest Interpreter, she leads Eochi Forest, designing recovery-oriented forest therapy, ecological education, and wellness tourism programs
   
   Program
   A multisensory session in which a sky mirror and vision-limiting activities open up new ways of experiencing the forest, closing with Pueraria flower tea and reflection on one’s own inner resources for recovery

1. Forest Therapy in Shinano Town: Advanced Session

   

   Kazuhiro Kouriki (Japan)
   Vice Chair, Hitotoki-no-kai, Shinano-machi
   Forest Therapy Research Association
   
   Since 2002 he has trained 450 Forest Medical Trainers through Shinano Town’s course, and has personally guided some 2,500 children and 8,000 adults
   
   Program
   An advanced session for forest therapy guides, practitioners, and researchers, sharing the know-how and field cases Shinano Town has built over 24 years

1. Opening the Five Senses: Shinano Town’s “Iyashinomori” Forest Therapy

   

   Hisashi Kasai (Japan)
   Shinano-machi Woods-Life Community, “Iyashinomori”
   
   Formerly with the C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust, he now directs “Iyashinomori” (The Healing Forest), a flagship municipal project of Shinano Town, Nagano. He is a certified Forest Therapist and Mental Health Social Worker.
   
   Program
   A slow-paced guided walk awakens the five senses, followed by mindful breathing, barefoot water-wading, and quiet time lying on forest mats

1. Experiencing Taiwan’s Four-Step Forest Therapy Model: A Five-Senses Journey in Nature

   

   Li-Kan Sung (China)
   Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Taiwan Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
   
   A Certified Forest Therapy Guide accredited by the Taiwan Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency since 2023, he has facilitated over 120 sessions for the public, corporate groups, government agencies, and healthcare institutions.
   
   Program
   Experience the four-step model at the core of Taiwan’s Forest Therapy Guide training — Centering, Mindfulness, Connection, and Sharing.

1. The Combination of Traditional Chinese Exercises and Forest Bathing

   

   Dr. Zhiling Wang (China)
   Associate Professor, Shanxi Agricultural University; Standing Director & Deputy Secretary-General, Forest Therapy Branch, Chinese Society of Forestry
   
   She leads the Forest Therapy program at the College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, and served as a visiting scholar at the University of British Columbia, directing three research projects on forest wellness.
   
   Program
   A workshop bringing traditional Chinese exercises into forest bathing — from sensory warm-ups and a guided walk to forest myths and practical applications.

1. Nature Play in Practice: A Play-Based Nature Connection Workshop from Hong Kong

   

   William Tsang (Hong Kong)
   Founder & CEO, Nature Bathing
   
   With 25 years in nature education and experiential learning, he has delivered programs for over 500 institutions reaching 50,000+ participants. A Certified Forest Therapy Guide (ANFT), he founded the social enterprise Nature Bathing in 2017.
   
   Program
   Experience how play and movement in nature support well-being and sensory engagement, then explore how Nature Play can be applied in forest therapy and education settings

1. Forest-Based Intervention as a Nature Prescription for Older Adults with Sarcopenia

   

   Hui-Chen Wu (China)
   Lecturer, Taiwan Square Stepping Sports Association
   
   Holding a Master of Science in Exercise and Health Sciences, she is a Certified Forest Therapist and EIM (Exercise is Medicine) professional working across community, school, workplace, and hospital health promotion
   
   Program
   A Taiwanese model for older adults at risk of sarcopenia, combining forest therapy activities with functional exercise as a nature prescription

Course 01 : Traditional Culture & Wellness

1. 

   01. Nongdari Stone Bridge
   Thousand-Year Cultural Heritage
   
   Jincheon Nongdari is a representative cultural heritage bridge made by stacking red stones in a fish-scale pattern. After crossing the bridge, participants follow the landscape of Chopyeong Lake toward Mireu Forest. View More

   
   
   

   02. Red-Clay Barefoot Trail & Suspension Bridge
   Mireu Forest Wellness Trekking
   
   A nature-based wellness course following the lakeside scenery of Chopyeong Lake. Participants walk barefoot only on the red-clay trail, feeling the soft earth, forest sounds, scent, and breeze, and then walk across the suspension bridge to enjoy the open view of the lake. View More

   
   
   

   03. Jincheon Charcoal Healing Center
   Modern Kiln Sauna · Self-guided
   
   A self-guided healing experience where participants enjoy modern charcoal kiln sauna sessions, charcoal foot baths, and rest according to their own condition. In the gentle warmth of charcoal, participants relax the body, release daily tension, and may also take a short walk around the nearby waterside area. View More

   
   
   

Course 02 : Forest Healing

1. 

   01. Eco Learning Center Experience
   
   Healing Therapy
   A relaxation program that combines a warm dry foot bath with fragrant flower tea or herbal tea, allowing participants to slow down and rest comfortably.
   
   My Own Woodcraft & Keepsake Making
   A hands-on woodcraft experience using natural wood. Participants decorate wooden items and use wood-burning techniques to engrave simple letters or drawings, creating a personal keepsake

   
   

   02. Forest Therapy Program
   
   Vitality Pole Exercise
   A gentle full-body exercise using a pole to move the neck, shoulders, back,
   
   Barefoot Forest Walking
   A sensory forest-walking activity that focuses on the feeling of soil and nature through the soles of the feet.
   
   Breath Healing & Singing Bowl Meditation
   A guided meditation that combines slow, deep breathing with the gentle resonance and vibration of singing bowls to support deep rest and emotional calm.

   
   

   03. Traditional Food & Barrier-Free Trail
   
   Traditional Food Experience
   Ddeokmechigi rice-cake pounding program: participants pound steamed glutinous rice, shape it, coat it with roasted soybean powder, and taste freshly made injeolmi.
   
   Barrier-Free Eco Park Trekking
   A gentle trekking course through the eco park and barrier-free forest trail, where participants enjoy seasonal scenery and the sound, scent, and breeze of the forest.

   View More