Jennifer Salinas has chosen a slower, more deliberate rhythm: one that listens. BA in Counseling Psychology and Art Therapy; M.S. Early Childhood Education, her work with the Children & Nature Network in New Mexico, United States, explores how access to nature can become a social determinant of well-being.
As an FTHub Forest Bathing Guide, she follows nature’s evidence, translates its effects, and witnesses its quiet revolutions in people. Her approach sits at the intersection of cultivating exploration, curiosity and the importance of “caring for the carers” in Education, blending Forest Bathing into her work with communities, educators, and organizations.
Passion for education, curiosity and exploration
“I studied psychology in college because I was fascinated by how people think, grow, and make meaning of the world around them. After graduation, I found my way into early childhood education, and spent about seven years as a classroom teacher and another six as a center director, leading educators and supporting families.”
“Throughout my time in education, I was deeply inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, which values curiosity, exploration, and relationships as foundations for learning. It wasn’t until later that I truly recognized how nature had been supporting me personally all along. After leading my school through the challenges of the pandemic -a time filled with fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion-, that connection took on a whole new meaning.”
“I watched the people around me, educators, families, and children, carrying immense stress and fatigue, often on the verge of breaking. And the world itself seemed to be unraveling: rising loneliness, alarming suicide rates, and the escalating impacts of climate change were constant reminders of how much collective healing we need.”
“Through all of this, I felt myself burning out too. It became clear that tending to well-being couldn’t just happen at the individual or classroom level: it needed to happen at a much broader scale. I felt called to do something bigger than supporting one school, to find a way to bring nature to the systems and people who nurture others. That realization guided me toward work that aligns my love of nature with my commitment to supporting children, educators, and equitable communities.”
“That search led me to the Children & Nature Network, where I now help communities expand equitable access to nature for children and families. Through this work, one of the strategies I support is called Nature as Healer, which focuses on the mental health and well-being benefits of connection with nature, not only for those receiving services, but also for those doing the work”.
Latino Outdoors and Forest Therapy Hub
“I’m also beginning to volunteer with Latino Outdoors, which has been a really meaningful step for me. It’s helping me connect this professional focus on nature and healing with community and cultural dimensions of nature connection, lifting up the ways our identities, languages, and traditions shape how we relate to the natural world.”
“My journey with the Forest Therapy Hub grows directly from that same purpose. I want to better understand and embody nature-based healing so I can bring it more intentionally into my professional work at the Children & Nature Network, and also share it with others through guided Forest Bathing and team well-being experiences. In the coming months, I plan to begin offering these experiences outside of that role as well, partnering with nonprofit teams and community organizations to help staff reconnect with nature as part of their own self-care and professional growth”
“What first drew me to the Forest Therapy Hub training was how grounded it is in research and science. I really value that FTHub connects Forest Bathing practices with evidence from psychology, neuroscience, and public health, showing that when we say nature reduces stress or supports mental well-being, there’s solid proof behind it. That grounding helps bridge the worlds of nature connection and professional practice in a way that feels both credible and transformative.”
At the same time, I deeply appreciate that the practice of Forest Bathing itself also honors other ways of knowing: the lived, embodied, and cultural wisdom that comes from direct experience. I think that’s one of the most powerful aspects of Forest Bathing: every person’s experience is unique, shaped by their own relationship with the land and their own moment in life. That diversity of experience is meaningful evidence in itself.
“For me, Forest Bathing sits beautifully at the intersection of both — the rigor of science and the richness of personal knowing. It reminds me that connection with nature is both universal and deeply individual, and that healing can come from paying attention to the quiet, personal ways that nature speaks to each of us.”
Forest Bathing glimmers
“One moment from my very first walk has really stayed with me. Early in the session, I noticed one participant who seemed to be having a hard time slowing down and settling into the quiet. They often tried to chat with others during moments meant for individual reflection, which is completely understandable, of course. Many of us find stillness and silence uncomfortable at first, especially in a culture that constantly keeps us busy and connected.”
“As the guide, I’ll admit that my first reaction was worry. I remember thinking ‘Oh no, maybe they’re not enjoying this’. But at the end of the walk, the participant came up to me on their own and shared something like, ‘At first, I wasn’t sure this was for me. It felt strange to be so quiet and to just be still. But by the end, I realized how much I needed this. This gave me space to breathe and let some of that go.’”
“That moment reminded me of the gentle power of this practice, how simply slowing down and noticing can open a door to something deeper. And that resistance is often part of the process. Sometimes the people who struggle most at first are the ones who end up being most touched by the experience.”
“I’d like to share how grateful I am to be part of a global community that’s helping to bring nature connection and healing into people’s everyday lives. I see Forest Bathing and nature-based well-being as essential practices not only for individuals, but also for those working in helping professions and community-based organizations.”
“I’m especially interested in connecting with nonprofit and community organizations that want to integrate nature-based healing and team well-being into their work. Having spent years in early childhood education and leadership, I’ve seen how powerful it can be when staff have tools to care for themselves as they care for others. I’m now exploring ways to bring Forest Bathing and nature-based practices to teams and organizations, helping them strengthen connection, reflection, and resilience through nature.”
Nature as an essential
“I grew up running barefoot along our dirt driveway, climbing trees, and watching mockingbirds build their nests in the oak tree in our yard, spending endless hours turning the mulberry tree into a pirate ship or an explorer’s lookout, collecting berries to crush into ‘juices,’ and eating peaches fresh off the tree.”
“As I got older, that connection faded a bit. I spent more time indoors and online, and it wasn’t until college, when I moved to New Mexico, that I began to rediscover my relationship with nature. Surrounded by such beauty, I started camping and hiking, learning how to pitch a tent, building campfires, spending nights under the stars that helped me reconnect with something I didn’t realize I’d been missing.”
“Over time, I’ve come to see nature as essential to my own well-being, a tool and a resource I turn to whenever I feel overwhelmed or depleted. When work feels stressful or life feels too fast, I know it’s time to get outside for a long, challenging hike. There’s something about the physical effort like climbing steep trails, sweating, breathing hard, that helps me release tension. Standing at the top, looking out over the landscape, I always feel lighter and rejuvenated.”
“I sometimes miss the energy and opportunities of city life, but I wouldn’t trade what I have, the daily reminder that nature is always there, ready to restore, inspire, and steady me”.
Ph: Courtesy Jennifer Salinas
Agisci ora, iscrivendoti alla nostra Formazione per Guida di Forest Bathing e per Professionista di Forest Therapy. Cresci insieme a noi, acquisendo le competenze essenziali per guidare esperienze trasformative in natura.
