The Forest Therapy Hub (FTHub) proudly joins an international consortium of esteemed partners in launching the PHorestAll project, an ambitious initiative to explore the profound relationship between forest ecosystems and human well-being. This research will study forests across two continents, aiming to position them as essential nature-based solutions for addressing the crises of ecological degradation and public health.
PHorestAll focuses on analyzing the health-promoting attributes of forests, such as soil microbiomes and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), while standardizing human interventions in these natural settings.
FTHub will design and lead 12 Forest Therapy sessions in each of five selected forests—six in the spring and six in the fall—using its scientifically grounded methodology and model, the FTHub Method, the LIM Model and the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-based interventions. These interventions will help evaluate how forests impact mental and physical health, contributing to the emerging classification of “Healing Forests.”
Meet our Partners
The project unites expertise from globally recognized institutions, including Destinature – Agência para o Desenvolvimento do Turismo de Natureza (Portugal), who leads the consortium, the Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology at the University of Coimbra (Portugal); the Department of Population Medicine and Lifestyle Diseases Prevention at the Medical University of Białystok (Poland); the School of Forestry and Resources Conservation at National Taiwan University (Taiwan); the Slovenian Forestry Institute and the Institute for Balneology and Climatology at the University of Maribor (Slovenia); and the Department of Pharmacognosy at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (Lithuania).
This interdisciplinary collaboration will examine the biodiversity and functionality of forest ecosystems, with a particular focus on how these elements interact with human health. The research outputs aim to inform better forest management practices and inspire societal shifts toward Green Prescription to alleviate public health pressures.
Shaping policies
Stakeholder engagement is central to PHorestAll’s mission. Workshops, citizen science initiatives, and community dialogues will involve policymakers, NGOs, and local communities in the research process. By translating complex scientific findings into accessible knowledge, the project seeks to empower individuals and shape policies that recognize forests as vital assets for both biodiversity conservation and public health.
With a €1,026,284 grant and a three-year timeline starting in March 2025, PHorestAll represents a bold step toward transformative science. By highlighting forests as therapeutic landscapes, this initiative underscores their critical role in addressing global environmental and health challenges.
