FTHub Spring School
Derby
May 12–16, 2027
Train where nature connection became a science
FTHub Forest Bathing Guide
5-Day In-person Immersive Training
- May 12–16, 2027
- Derby University, UK
- In English
- Limited to 15 participants
Free Insight Session
NOVEMBER 12
6 pm CET · 5 pm UK · Noon ET · 11 am CT · 9 am PT
Learn all about the in-person immersive training program with experts and trainers.
Training in partnership with:
Watch
From previous editions
A glimpse into what an FTHub intensive in-person training looks like in practice.
Why train with Forest Therapy Hub?
The only method researched at scale with international public funding.
What sets this apart
What makes it unique
FTHub Spring School Derby brings professional Forest Bathing Guide training to the birthplace of nature connection science. The University of Derby is where nature connection was defined as a measurable psychological construct, and the Five Pathways to Nature Connectedness were developed. A work named by Universities UK as one of the UK’s 100 best research breakthroughs, now adopted by the National Trust, Natural England, and Mind’s nature-based mental health programs across the UK.
Ancient parklands, riverside woodlands, and mature green spaces sit minutes from the campus. No remote location, no long transfers, just direct access to varied natural environments between every indoor session. You will train across all of them, guided by FTHub’s training team in person throughout the program. Just skill, methodology, and the place where the science began.
The location
The Setting
Derby sits in the English Midlands, where centuries-old parkland and the River Derwent create a green corridor through the city. Mature woodland paths with open meadows, riverside forests along the Derwent, and wilder, more remote landscapes of ancient woodland and open grassland around a lake. The training uses all of these environments, each offering a different character for practicing facilitation in varied settings.
This is not a backdrop. It is the training.
Main program locations
A TYPICAL DAY
Mornings begin outdoors, a Forest Bathing Walk in Markeaton Park's woodland, a riverside session along the Derwent at Darley Abbey, or a guided practice in the open grassland of Allestree Park. After lunch, the group returns to the University of Derby Sports Centre for module content: theory, methodology, debriefs, and group dynamics. The rhythm is deliberate: experience first, then science, then integration.
Who Is This For?
Who is this training for?
No prior experience needed. Open to all backgrounds and professions.
Aspiring Forest Bathing Guides ready for professional certification.
Educators and facilitators seeking structured nature-based skills.
Health professionals (psychologists, therapists, nurses, physicians) integrating nature into their practice.
Nature Connection Specialist graduates advancing to the next level
Level 1 FTHub Nature Connection Specialist training is optional; you can enroll in the Level 2 FTHub Forest Bathing Guide training directly.
Environmental and ecotourism professionals expanding their services.
Career changers building a new professional identity.
Curriculum
What you will learn
Six core areas of professional competence.
Session Design & Facilitation
How to design complete Forest Bathing sessions with a clear arc: opening, sensory activities, solo time, sharing, and closing. You learn to adapt sessions to different environments, group sizes, and participant needs.
Sensory Activities
The core facilitation technique of Forest Bathing. You develop a repertoire of guided prompts that engage all senses and deepen participants’ connection with nature.
The Science of Nature and Health
The physiological, psychological, and neurological evidence behind Forest Bathing. You learn what the research shows, how to communicate it to participants and stakeholders, and how to position your practice as evidence-based.
Group Facilitation & Psychological Safety
How to create safe, inclusive spaces for diverse groups. Group dynamics, trauma-informed practice, managing difficult situations, and the ethics of holding space for others’ experiences in nature.
Risk Assessment & Safety
Comprehensive frameworks for physical risk assessment, environmental hazards, weather protocols, first aid considerations, and liability. Safety is not an afterthought; it is woven into every module.
The FTHub Method and the LIM
The evidence-based methodology that underpins all FTHub certifications. You learn the FTHub Method, the Liquid Interactions Model (LIM), and how to apply them in your own context, designing sessions grounded in the Walk Activities Sequence and Nature Connection Activities.
What's Included
What’s included in every FTHub Spring School
- All program content is delivered in person during the immersion. All trainers and experts are present on site.
- 5 days of intensive, immersive, in-person FTHub Forest Bathing Guide training with experienced FTHub lead trainers
- Full FTHub Forest Bathing Guide curriculum: session design, sensory activities, science, facilitation, safety
- Daily field practice in the local natural environment
- Real-time feedback from FTHub lead trainers
- International cohort experience, with professionals from diverse countries and backgrounds
- FTHub Forest Bathing Guide Certificate upon completion
- Hub Seedlings Pro Annual membership: directory listing, professional tools, network, and FTI Lab access
+ Online access
also included
In addition to the in-person training, you can still enjoy the standard 24-week online access to the full course materials, 12 live online classes, 48 online mentoring sessions with group dynamics, and 12 online Forest Bathing Walks.
Attendance at this online content is not mandatory, but it allows you to revisit the content at your own pace and complete the practice requirements.
2.100 €
EARLY BIRD: EUR 1700 | GBP 1475
Until October 22
EARLY BIRD: EUR 1900 | GBP 1649
Until December 22
FLEXIBLE PAYMENT PLAN:
#1 | Registration (deposit): EUR 1000 EUR | GBP 868
#2 | January 10, 2027: 50% of the remaining amount
#3 | March 5, 2027: 50% of the remaining amount
PROGRAM Outline
Full program outline
The FTHub Forest Bathing Guide program is structured in modules that combine self-paced learning, live online sessions, and practical assignments.
Click the tab below for the complete program structure.
Modules 1 – 10 | Full content outline
Module 1 – FTHub Conceptual Framework
- Principles of health and their practical application.
- Planetary Health: principles of health and its contributing factors.
Module 2 – Knowledge to Design Nature Experiences
- Path selection criteria in diverse natural environments, such as marine environments, rivers, forests, deserts, and urban parks.
- Risk analysis to create a safe environment for the participants.
Module 3 – Skills and Techniques to Guide Nature Experiences
- Group management techniques and facilitation of dynamics that support the experience of the participants.
- Methods and skills to communicate effectively with the participants.
Module 4 – Relation Between Nature and Humans
- Somatic components of connection.
- Practical skills for an optimal bodily experience of connection with the environment.
Module 5 – FTHub Method: Sequences
- Theoretical framework of the FTHub Walk Activities Sequences.
- FTHub Walk Activities Sequences.
Module 6 – FTHub Method: Liquid Interactions Model
- The Liquid Interactions Model: theoretical inspiration.
- The Liquid Interactions Model: structure, science, and themes to design nature connection activities.
- From theory and science to practice: how to apply the theoretical foundations to the design of nature-based activities.
Module 7 – Nature-Based Well-being Plan, Social Prescribing and Green Prescription
- Conceptualize and design Nature-Based Well-being Plans.
- Integrate health and well-being practices under social prescribing and nature prescription.
Module 8 – Theories, Science, and Scientific Research
- Fundamentals of Forest Medicine: practical integration of the main benefits of nature in human health.
- Scientific foundations and techniques to enhance your nature connectedness and support that of your participants.
Module 9 – Expressive Arts in Nature and Skills to Integrate Nature-Based Well-being Practices into Professional Contexts
- Expressive arts: practical application in Forest Bathing.
- Fundamental elements of organizational and emotional well-being nature-based experiences.
Module 10 – Skills for Selecting Healthy Spaces: urban parks, green and aquatic environments
- Knowledge about ecosystems and diversity, and their impact on well-being.
- Scientific References
A bibliography with more than 300 references and scientific articles on which the training is based
- Certification Requirements
+ Design a Nature-Based Well-being Plan
- Additional Requirements
+ Certification in “First Aid” (or “Wilderness First Aid”)
+ Certification in “Mental Health First Aid”
These certifications are not provided by the FTHub and are not included in the training fee. They can be completed during the rest of the program.
The Team
Trainers & Experts
Bring out your best with an interdisciplinary and multicultural team of the most experienced trainers and leading international experts in specific areas of knowledge. All trainers and experts listed will be present in person during the training.
Dr Ryan Lumber
Senior Lecturer in Psychology | Nottingham Trent Univ.
United Kingdom
Dr Kirsten McEwan
PhD Psych | Research Psychologist, Univ. of Derby
United Kingdom
Angela Stangoe
Trainer
United Kingdom
Manuela Renzi
Training and Capacity Building Director
Italy
Alex Gesse
Executive Director
Spain
Certification
Completion of the FTHub Spring School program awards a certificate: you become an FTHub Certified Forest Bathing Guide, equipped to design, deliver, and market your own sessions.
FTHub Certified
Forest Bathing Guide
Logistics
Program Details
Everything you need to plan your stay and prepare for the training.
PROGRAM LOCATIONS
The training is held across the University of Derby campus and the surrounding parks. Indoor sessions take place at the University of Derby Sports Centre. Outdoor sessions move between Markeaton Park, Darley Abbey Park, and Allestree Park, depending on the day’s content and weather conditions.
University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map). Indoor training campus: lectures, workshops, group sessions.
Markeaton Park (info | map). Primary outdoor campus: mature woodland, open meadows, landscaped gardens. A 5-min walk from the Sports Centre.
Darley Abbey Park (info | map). Riverside green space along the River Derwent: woodland areas, scenic paths. A 30-min walk from the Sports Centre.
Allestree Park (info | map). Woodlands, open grassland, lake: a quieter, nature-rich setting for longer practice walks. A short drive from the Sports Centre.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is at the participant’s discretion. Derby offers a range of options within walking distance of the training campus. Some suggestions:
- Coach House — boutique guesthouse, 15-min walk from the Sports Centre.
- Cathedral Quarter Hotel — city center hotel, 30-min walk.
- Leonardo Hotel Derby — modern hotel, 25-min walk.
Derby is well connected by train (direct services from London St Pancras in ~1h30, Birmingham in ~40 min, Manchester in ~1h30) and by car via the A38 and M1.
MEALS
A welcome dinner is included in the training fee. Other meals are at the participant’s discretion. For lunch, FTHub may pre-reserve specific restaurants where you can pay directly. Each will offer a range of prices and cater to diverse dietary requirements.
A few weeks before the event, the Learning Team will contact you regarding any specific dietary restrictions.
COSTS
The training fee includes a welcome dinner and transportation to and from program locations outside the university, as detailed below. All other food, transportation, and accommodation costs are not included.
The training program may be slightly modified due to weather conditions or force majeure. A detailed schedule will be provided to registered participants one month before the start of the training.
If you have further questions or require assistance with planning your accommodation and travel, please contact us at adm@foresttherapyhub.com.
TRAINING CALENDAR
WELCOME & DINNER | May 12 | 7:00 – 9:30 pm | Location: TBD
BREAKS | Lunch break: 1:00 – 2:30 pm | Coffee breaks will be provided during the content sessions.
| DAY | MORNING | AFTERNOON |
| May 13 | FIELD TRIP | Markeaton Park (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #1 | Mature woodland and open meadows 11:30 am–12:30 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief 12:30–1:00 pm: Training Welcome | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 2:30–3:15 pm: Module 1 – FTHub Conceptual Framework 3:15–4:15 pm: Module 2 – Knowledge to Design Experiences in Nature 4:30–5:30 pm: Module 3 – Skills and Techniques to Guide Experiences in Nature |
| May 14 | FIELD TRIP | Markeaton Park (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #2 | Riverside woodland and scenic paths 11:15 am–12:15 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief 12:15–1:00 pm: Module 4 – The Relation between Nature and People | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 2:30–3:45 pm: Module 5 – The FTHub Method: Sequences 4:15–5:30 pm: Module 6 – The FTHub Method: Liquid Interactions Model |
| May 15 | FIELD TRIP | Darley Abbey Park (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #3 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 2:30–3:45 pm: Workshop: Nature-based Well-being Plan | Urban parkland and landscaped gardens 4:15–5:30 pm: Module 7 – Nature-based Well-being Plan, Social Prescribing and Green Prescription |
| May 16 | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 9:00–11:30 am: Content by experts 11:45 am–12:15 pm: Module 8 – Theories, Science and Scientific Research 12:15–1:00 pm: Module 9 – Expressive Arts in Nature and Skills to Integrate Nature-Based Well-being Practices into Professional Contexts | FIELD TRIP | Allestree Park (info | map) 2:30–4:30 pm: Forest Bathing Walk #4 4:30–5:30 pm: Closure | CLOSING CEREMONY |
WELCOME & DINNER | May 12 | 6:30 – 9:30 pm | Location: TBD
BREAKS | Lunch break: 1:00 – 3:00 pm | During the content sessions, 30-minute coffee breaks will be provided.
| DAY | MORNING | AFTERNOON |
MAY | FIELD TRIP | Markeaton Park (info | map) 9:30 am–Noon: Forest Bathing Walk #1, Mature woodland and open meadows | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 2:30–3:45 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief 4:15–5:30 pm: Module 1 — FTHub Conceptual Framework |
MAY | FIELD TRIP | Markeaton Park (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Workshop: Nature-based Well-being Plan, Urban parkland and landscaped gardens 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Module 7 — Nature-based Well-being Plan, Social Prescribing and Green Prescription | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 2:30–3:45 pm: Module 2 — Knowledge to Design Experiences in Nature 4:15–5:30 pm: Module 3 — Skills and Techniques to Guide Experiences in Nature |
MAY | FIELD TRIP | Darley Abbey Park (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #2, Riverside woodland and scenic paths 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Module 8 — Theories, Science, and Scientific Research | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 2:30–3:45 pm: Module 5 — The FTHub Method: Sequences 4:15–5:30 pm: Module 6 — The FTHub Method: Liquid Interactions Model |
MAY | University of Derby Sports Centre (info | map) 9:00–10:30 am: Content by experts 11:00 am–Noon: Module 4 — The Relation between Nature and People Noon–1:00 pm: Module 9 — Expressive Arts in Nature + Module 10 — Skills for Selecting Healthy Spaces | FIELD TRIP | Allestree Park (info | map) 2:30–4:30 pm: Forest Bathing Walk #3 (guides in training) 4:30–5:30 pm: Closure | CLOSING CEREMONY |
What Our Students Say
Real practitioners. Real outcomes.
Hear from previous FTHub Summer School participants.
Eeeva Salvik
FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner • Switzerland
Elayna Toby Singer
FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner • USA
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any preparation required before this FTHub Spring School In-Person Forest Bathing Guide training?
No mandatory preparation is required. However, if you want to arrive with context, we recommend browsing the FTHub Method page and the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions page on our website. You may also find it valuable to spend time near water or in a local green space, simply noticing sounds, textures, light, and movement, as a personal baseline before the training begins.
Are places limited?
Yes. FTHub Spring Schools are limited to 15 participants to ensure personalized attention, meaningful group dynamics, and direct access to trainers during every session. Once the group is full, registration closes. We recommend applying early to secure your place.
How do I get there?
Where should I stay?
Accommodation is at your discretion. Options within walking distance of the training campus include Coach House (boutique guesthouse, 15-min walk), Cathedral Quarter Hotel (city center, 30-min walk), and Leonardo Hotel Derby (25-min walk). Derby also has a wide range of budget and mid-range options. FTHub can assist with planning if needed. Contact adm@foresttherapyhub.com.
What should I bring?
No specialist equipment is required. Comfortable outdoor clothing suitable for walking in English parkland in all weather conditions. Waterproof jackets and sturdy footwear are important. Sessions take place outdoors, rain or shine. Layers are recommended. A notebook for reflections.
