Invitation to the IV International Congress Forest and Its Potencial for Health

The Forest Therapy Hub® together with BioCon Valley® (an organisation from the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Germany, dedicated to identifying, grouping, advising and coordinating the actors of the health industry), i-Nature®(an organisation from the Central Region in Portugal whose objective is to operate on the capacity for innovation in Nature Tourism in classified areas), the International Society of Forest Therapy and the Grande Hotel de Luso join forces to present the IV International Congress on Forests and its Potential for Health.

FTHub, as an independent organization, works towards a social and environmental change collaborating with public and private organizations such as research centres and researchers, universities, associations and Ngos, and governments from USA, UK, Poland, Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Latvia, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, France, Italy, among others.

From innovation, health, and well-being, the IV International Congress is an opportunity to learn from renowned researchers and professionals in multidisciplinary fields about the scientific bases of Forest Therapy and its practical application in health systems and tourism.

Dr. Won Sop Shin, Dr. Matilda van den Bosch, Dr. Eugeni Osácar, Dr. Ricardo García Mira, Dr. Kirsten McEwan, Prof. Dr. Uwe Rinner, Prof Dr Rik De Vreese, Miguel Vasco, Alex Gesse are just some of the guest speakers that make this gathering a milestone in developing strategies and knowledge towards human health together with the health of nature.

Themes and approaches 

Before the last day of workshops with Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Intervention sessions for the public conducted by professional guides and practitioners, the speakers will address several issues. Get to know some of the professionals and researchers: 

April 7th’s focus on forests and tourism: Sustainable Wellbeing Tourism, The Creation of Cure and Healing Forests, Sustainability for a better quality of living as key points of attraction for tourism destinations. 

And also Examples Of Applied Health, Well-Being And Ecotourism Practices in Green Settings. You will learn cases from Austria, Lithuania, Germany, Bhutan, Slovenia, Italy, Portugal and Spain and will be able to attend the special module of Business Development in Natural Environments, Health And Tourism and the one about Forests as a Key for Sustainable Development.

On April 8th the Congress will focus on Forest Therapy for Social And Mental Health. Some of the themes and speakers will be: The LIM Model for Forest Therapy Interventions (Alex Gesse, Forest Therapy Hub Executive Director), Forest Bathing in ancient woodland and urban parks (Dr. Kirsten McEwan, University of Derby), and The benefits of Forest on Psychotherapy (Prof. Dr. Eric Pfeiffer, Catholic University of Freiburg, Germany).

There will be presented a special Module for The Creation Of Healing Forests – Experience From Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with insights into the Healing Forests of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, and Europe’s First Children’s Healing Forest (with Dr. Karin Lehmann, Deputy spa director Kaiserbäder Insel Usedom, Germany).

The International Certification of Healing Forests will also be addressed with Jan Schmidt and Anne Rabes from BioCon Valley®, and a round table about Green Jobs in the Forestry Sector with Vera Steinberg, Policy Advisor of Forest Europe.

As we said, on April 9th the wonderful portuguese landscapes will receive the participants in the Outdoor Sessions with Experiential Workshops.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sign up here.