Manuela brings a solid interdisciplinary background in Naturopathy, Ecopsychology, Mindfulness and Oriental Medicine. Fluent in Italian, Spanish and English, she integrates scientific knowledge with embodied, practice-based experience in nature-based health promotion. Her expertise is grounded in over a decade of designing, implementing and evaluating training programmes across diverse cultural, social and ecological contexts worldwide.

At FTHub, as Training and Capacity Building Director, she plays a central role in shaping the organisation’s global impact and ensuring coherence and quality across its educational frameworks. She develops international training pathways and capacity-building structures that support the professionalisation of nature-based health practices, strengthening FTHub’s ability to collaborate effectively across countries, sectors and institutional environments while maintaining a consistent methodological foundation.

Manuela contributes to multiple EU-funded initiatives, including NATURELAB, ForestAll and other Erasmus+ programmes, as well as international projects focused on environmental education, health innovation and the integration of nature-based approaches into institutional settings. Her work spans methodological development, scientific translation and capacity-building support, helping advance nature-based health interventions at a global scale.

She leads training delivery on several continents, ensuring methodological coherence, pedagogical rigour and cultural relevance, essential qualities of FTHub’s international identity and credibility. Her expertise enables the organisation to adapt and scale its training model globally without compromising scientific integrity or educational quality. A core part of her contribution is adapting the FTHub Method for Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy to different cultural, biogeographical and environmental contexts. This adaptive work ensures that the methodology remains globally standardised yet locally meaningful, responsive to diverse health systems, community needs, ecosystems and professional profiles. Through her leadership, FTHub’s training aligns with emerging international standards and a growing evidence base in nature-based interventions, resulting in programmes that are scientifically robust, culturally sensitive and professionally relevant.

Manuela has facilitated and supported Forest Therapy interventions and professional training throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania, working with children, adolescents, educators, health professionals and community groups. She also played a key role in the design and implementation of the Trentino Therapeutic Garden in the Italian Alps, a pioneering initiative bridging environmental design, public health and therapeutic landscape research.

Raised in a mountain tourism environment, she developed a deep appreciation for ecological literacy, local culture and sustainable land stewardship—values that continue to guide her academic and professional work. She regularly designs and facilitates workshops, retreats and applied training programmes that foster nature connectedness, psychological well-being and environmental responsibility.

Manuela is the author of WILD BLUE, FTHub’s specialised course on Nature Connection in Blue Spaces. She presents regularly at international conferences, including the V and VII Congress Forest and Its Potential for Health, and her work has been featured in Italian media for its integrative and evidence-informed approach to nature-based well-being.