Into The Woods Forest Therapy Walks, LLC.

11/05/2025

Many of my fellow Forest Therapy guides and I have read the book, "Finding The Mother Tree" by Suzanne Simard. It's a good example of how science shows us that we are all related and we all depend on eachother. 🌿

🌿 Suzanne Simard discovered that trees communicate and share resources.

It reshapes eveyrhting we know about forest ecology and conservation.

For decades, Canadian ecologist Suzanne Simard has quietly revolutionized how we see forests—not as a collection of competing trees but as thriving, cooperative communities.

Her research on mycorrhizal networks—the underground fungal threads connecting trees—revealed how forests share resources, communicate stress, and nurture new life.

Simard’s landmark 1997 study, which found that birch and fir trees exchange carbon underground, redefined ecological science and sparked global fascination with what she calls “Mother Trees”—old, central trees that support the health and growth of their forest “families.” Her 2021 memoir, Finding the Mother Tree, became a bestseller and is now being adapted into a film starring Amy Adams.

But Simard’s mission is more urgent than fame. Through her Mother Tree Project and collaborations with Indigenous nations, she advocates for sustainable forestry practices that preserve old-growth trees and protect forest ecosystems from irreversible damage. While critics question her use of anthropomorphic language, Simard insists that humanizing forests helps the public understand what’s at stake. With climate change accelerating and ancient forests vanishing, Simard remains a voice of both caution and hope. “These forests were meant to heal,” she says. “And I have to make sure people understand that.”

Source: Cyca, M. (2023, May 16). Suzanne Simard Wants To Change The Way We Look At Trees.

photo: Felicia Chang via Suzanne Simard

11/05/2025

Having fun noticing textures out at the Dolan Nature Preserve. 🌿

10/31/2025

What a stunning afternoon at Cascade Peace Park! 🤩

10/25/2025

I've been enjoying gentle wanders in the woods behind my house this fall. What are you noticing during this season of transition?🍂🍁

10/06/2025

09/27/2025

🍂Fall Forest Therapy Walk🍂

Enjoy a relaxing and restorative wander in nature with the Japanese practice "Shinrin Yoku", otherwise known as "Forest Therapy" or "Forest Bathing". I am a certified guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and will accompany you as we practice invitations, or nature-oriented meditations out in the more than human world. Tea made from plants on the land and snacks will be provided at the conclusion as we share our experiences together. Come walk with me!

Class facilitated by Into The Woods Forest Therapy Walks LLC. in partnership with the Caledonia Resource Center.

Register online: www.calschools.org/resourcecenter
or
Call: (616) 891-8117

When: Saturday, October 4th

Location: The Science Trail behind Kraft Meadows School, Caledonia

Time: 10:00 am-12:30pm

Fee: $30

*Please bring an easy to carry camp stool or yoga mat and whatever you need to feel comfortable out in nature (water, bug spray, hat, etc.) Wearing long pants and closed toe shoes is suggested.

09/25/2025

This is wonderful! The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy planted a tree for each of us in our honor for becoming guides.🌱🌳

In Japan, some schools nestled near forests are introducing a beautiful tradition — every child is given a tree to plant, name, and care for. This is not just a gardening lesson; it’s a lifelong bond. The tree becomes a living companion, growing alongside the student year by year. Children return to visit their tree, water it, observe its changes through seasons, and learn about the interconnectedness of life.

These forest schools emphasize outdoor learning, emotional growth, and environmental stewardship. By allowing children to witness the slow, patient rhythm of nature, it nurtures empathy, patience, and a sense of responsibility. The act of naming the tree adds a personal connection — for many, it’s their first act of nurturing something beyond themselves.

Over time, these trees grow into micro-forests, filled with stories and memories. The school grounds transform into living libraries of green friendship. This simple practice fosters a culture of sustainability rooted in emotion, not obligation.

As urbanization increases, such programs offer children — especially city dwellers — a way to reclaim their relationship with nature in a deeply personal and tactile way. One child. One tree. One lifelong friendship.

09/07/2025

Hello Everyone! 🌿

As we move into the crisp and colorful days of fall, our senses awaken and we experience the shift into another season. 🍂 I will be offering a guided Shinrin Yoku walk, otherwise known as Forest Therapy or Forest Bathing, in partnership with the Caledonia Resource Center on Saturday October 4 from 10:00 a.m.-12:30 a.m. This restorative practice will gently guide us into reconnection with the more than human world as we immerse ourselves in the gifts fall has to offer. Come walk with me, I look forward to seeing you out on the trail!🙂Please see the Caledonia Resource Center's post below for details as well as a link to register.

*** NEW CLASS ***
Forest Therapy - Shinrin Yoku

Enjoy a relaxing and restorative wander out in nature with the Japanese practice "Shinrin Yoku", otherwise known as "Forest Therapy" or "Forest Bathing". A certified guide will accompany you as we practice invitations, or nature-oriented meditations out in the more than human world. Tea and snacks will be provided at the conclusion as we share our experiences together.

Class facilitated by Into The Woods Forest Therapy Walks LLC.

Register online: www.calschools.org/resourcecenter or call the office 616-891-8117

Saturday 10/4
Location: The Science Trail behind Kraft Meadows
10:00-12:30 $30

*Please bring an easy to carry camp stool or yoga mat and whatever you need to feel comfortable out in nature (water, bug spray, hat, etc.) Wearing long pants and closed toe shoes is suggested.

08/28/2025

Listen to.
To hear with thoughtful attention.
To hold something close, to attend to it, to be astonished by it, to devote your life to its mysteries, to name it precisely, to wonder how it comes to be.
To stay awake to it.
To move closer to the wild and twittering night.
To let it cover you and keep you safe.
To me, listening is starting to sound a lot like love.

~ Kathleen Dean Moore, Earth's Wild Music: Celebrating and Defending the Songs of the Natural World

Art: Maggie Vandewalle, “The Night Watch”
Maggie Vandewalle Watercolors

07/26/2025

🤎✨🤎✨🤎✨

Happy Friday 💌

07/25/2025

Stay wild and full of wonder.✨
Let the wild places whisper to your soul. Follow the old paths, where moss grows thick and stories linger in the leaves.

Image by The Wheatfield.

05/17/2025

Teach your children to appreciate and respect nature from the earliest moments of their lives. Let them walk barefoot on the earth, listen to the whispers of the trees, and gaze at the stars with wonder. Encourage them to see the magic in a blooming flower, the wisdom in the changing seasons, and the harmony in a bird’s flight. Help them understand that nature is not a resource to be used, but a living, breathing system that we are a part of, one that nurtures, heals, and sustains all life. When children grow to love and protect the natural world, they begin to understand their place within it, not as conquerors, but as caretakers. And in return, nature will provide for them, clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, food to nourish them, and beauty to inspire their spirits. In teaching children to live in balance with the earth, we give them not just knowledge, but a future rooted in respect, gratitude and hope.

~ Spirit of a Hippie

~ Art by Claudia Tremblay