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In this training, you will learn:
This is an ASL video by Deaf certified ANFT guide, Summer Crider, explaining the details of this retreat, including some video clips of the Aspen Camp location.
Registering for a training begins by completing an application which may take 20-30 minutes. This application is a way for us to get to know you and to determine if we think you will make a good forest therapy guide. Once your application is received, our admissions team will review it and, if you are accepted into the program, send an acceptance letter within three weeks. This letter will contain all the information for next steps, including a registration link to reserve your space in the training. To promote an optimal learning environment, we generally cap enrollment at 21 participants per training. Applications we receive after we have filled the training will be placed on a waitlist. If an accepted applicant drops out, we will contact the next applicant on the waitlist until the training is full again.
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Shadowcliff is a down to earth, non-profit mountain sanctuary and retreat center that fosters connection not only between different people, but allows people to connect with both themselves and the environment as well. Described as being reminiscent of a comfortable, grown up summer camp, Shadowcliff offers incredible views of the surrounding mountains and Grand Lake, which is less than a ten minute walk away. This retreat center offers trainees a chance to explore the nearby lake, streams, and multitude of trails that wind up into Rocky Mountain National Park with the knowledge that they have a comfortable, joy-filled, and warm lodge to return to. The land surrounding Shadowcliff is described as majestic and awe-inspiring, and with the fall colors of September, should be a wonderful location for forest therapy.--
Participants will be staying in the lodges at Shadowcliff, which offer triple, double, and single rooms. There are a limited number of single rooms dependent on the number of participants, and so will not be available until a closer date to the training.
Prices are as follows, and include meals:
$75 for a shared triple room
$90 for a shared double room
$120 for a private single room
Rooms at Shadowcliff are rustic, but comfortable. Both the Cliffside Lodge and Rempel Lodge offer lounges and fireplaces, as well as spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. The Rempel Lodge, where the majority of people will be staying, is a chalet-style alpine lodge that sits between the mountains and lake, and right above the North Inlet Stream, which murmurs throughout the day, and also offers a library for downtime. Most rooms have a queen sized bed and then one or two bunk beds. Rooms will be allocated so that no one will be sleeping on the top bunk of any bed.
There are also cabins available, which cost $120 a night and do not include meals. It’s possible that, if you arrange it with other participants directly, these cabins could be shared.
Linens and towels will be provided at no additional cost. There is wi-fi on site, as well as games, fireplaces, and firepits available.
Food prices are built into the prices of accommodations, listed above. There are also fully equipped kitchens available to the participants in both of the lodges. Shadowcliff will also provide tea and coffee at no extra charge.
Meals are mostly vegetarian, but meat will be served every other day or so. Additional meat dishes can be bought at an extra charge. Shadowcliff tries to source seasonal, local, organic food when possible. They will typically require two volunteers to help clean up per meal. Extra hot breakfasts cost $5 per person, per meal. Extra meat to meals costs $5 per person, per meal.
For day use guests, daily meal passes cost $40.
All dietary restrictions and activity requests must be made 14 days before the event start date. Shadowcliff will try to accommodate any late requests, but cannot guarantee that they will be able to.
Denver is a 2.5-3 hour drive away and Boulder is a 2.5 hour drive away. There are shuttles available that go to Grand Lake, CO, which is a 3-minute drive from the lodge, as well as Greyhounds that stop at a city around 20 minutes away. There are taxi services available in Grand Lake as well.
Lodging:
ANFT is handling reservations. Please contact admissions@natureandforesttherapy.org for your reservation.
Participants will be staying in the lodges at Shadowcliff, which offer triple, double, and single rooms. There are a limited number of single rooms dependent on the number of participants, and so will not be available until a closer date to the training.
Prices are as follows, and include meals:
$75 for a shared triple room
$90 for a shared double room
$120 for a private single room
Rooms at Shadowcliff are rustic, but comfortable. Both the Cliffside Lodge and Rempel Lodge offer lounges and fireplaces, as well as spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. The Rempel Lodge, where the majority of people will be staying, is a chalet-style alpine lodge that sits between the mountains and lake, and right above the North Inlet Stream, which murmurs throughout the day, and also offers a library for downtime. Most rooms have a queen sized bed and then one or two bunk beds. Rooms will be allocated so that no one will be sleeping on the top bunk of any bed.
There are also cabins available, which cost $120 a night and do not include meals. It’s possible that, if you arrange it with other participants directly, these cabins could be shared.
Linens and towels will be provided at no additional cost. There is wi-fi on site, as well as games, fireplaces, and firepits available.
Meals:
Food prices are built into the prices of accommodations, listed above. There are also fully equipped kitchens available to the participants in both of the lodges. Shadowcliff will also provide tea and coffee at no extra charge.
Meals are mostly vegetarian, but meat will be served every other day or so. Additional meat dishes can be bought at an extra charge. Shadowcliff tries to source seasonal, local, organic food when possible. They will typically require two volunteers to help clean up per meal. Extra hot breakfasts cost $5 per person, per meal. Extra meat to meals costs $5 per person, per meal.
For day use guests, daily meal passes cost $40.
All dietary restrictions and activity requests must be made 14 days before the event start date. Shadowcliff will try to accommodate any late requests, but cannot guarantee that they will be able to.
Transportation:
Denver is a 2.5-3 hour drive away and Boulder is a 2.5 hour drive away. There are shuttles available that go to Grand Lake, CO, which is a 3-minute drive from the lodge, as well as Greyhounds that stop at a city around 20 minutes away. There are taxi services available in Grand Lake as well.
Fitness Requirements:
This training is taking place at a high altitude (around 8400 ft), which people should take into consideration not only when they book this training, but in their travel arrangements as well. Participants should be able to comfortably go up stairs and be aware that there may be elevation changes in the nearby trails.
The tuition for the six month core guide training program is $2995 USD.
The tuition for the four-day immersion is $495. Wait to pay until you are ready to register for a specific immersion. You will have two years from the completion of your core guide training to do the immersion.
Other costs include payment for Wilderness First Aid training, which is required for Certification, and is provided by third parties. Prices range from $100 to $300. Lodging or camping fees and food for the four-day immersion are the responsibility of the trainee.
Tuition figures are current as of January 1 2021 and are subject to change.
Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.
Carolynne Crawley is a Mi'kmaw woman with mixed ancestry from the EastCoast. She is dedicated to social and environmental justice and supportingIndigenous led community work related to food sovereignty and food security.She has worked with one of Canada’s largest food security organizations for thepast decade as the Indigenous Food Access Manager, increasing access to affordableand healthy foods, developing a cross cultural youth program focusing upon theIndigenous way of being in relationship with land, and organizing a provincewide Indigenous Food Sovereignty Gathering. She has also built school foodgardens, created and facilitated curriculum -linked food literacy programs forboth students and teachers. Carolynne is passionate about connecting peoplewith the land, themselves, and with each other. She leads workshops inrelationship building to develop and strengthen healthy, reciprocalrelationships based upon Indigenous teachings that decolonize existinginteractions with the land.
Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.
Dr, Qing Li (MD, PhD) graduated from Shanxi Medical University in China and got a PhD degree from Kagoshima University in Japan. He has studied at Stanford University School of Medicine.
He is a clinical professor at Nippon Medical School, President of the Japanese Society of ForestMedicine, Director of the Forest Therapy Society, Vice-President and Secretary General of International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine (INFOM) (https://www.infom.org).
Prof. Li is the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine and immunology. He has received Society ward from the Japanese Society for Hygiene in Forest Medicine in 2022 and University Award from Nippon Medical School in Forest Medicine in 2011 (https://researchmap.jp/read0045249?lang=en)
Some people study medicine. Some people study forest. Dr. Li studies forest medicine to find out all the ways in which walking in the forest can improve our well-being. He started the forest medicine research (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing/Forest therapy) from 2004 and has published many articles in scientific journals and books in forest medicine.
His book: Shinrin-yoku (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/308285/shinrin-yoku/9780241984857.html) has been translated into 26 languages.
His book: Forest bathing (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/579709/forest-bathing-by-dr-qing-li/) was ranked in the bestseller list in the US in 2018.
Susan Abookire, BSEE, MD, MPH, FACP, is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, a practicing Internist, and a senior executive with 20 years’ experience leading healthcare organizations. She has served as Chief Medical Officer, System Chief Quality Officer, and Chair of Quality and Patient Safety. Dr. Abookire began her career as an electrical engineer in aviation systems. She has taught nationally and internationally on patient safety, high reliability, systems design, and the health benefits of nature. Dr. Abookire also enjoys being a Forest Therapy guide and incorporates Forest Therapy into medical curricula.
Dr. Robert Zarr is a physician researcher and public health pediatrician based at Unity Health Care, Inc. and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Canada. He has provided medical care to minority and immigrant populations for more than 20 years.
A longtime advocate for Medicare for All, Dr. Zarr served as PNHP president from 2015 through 2016. He founded and was the first medical director of Park Rx America, a community health initiative to prescribe nature to patients and families to prevent and treat chronic disease and promote wellness. A certified nature and forest therapy guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, Dr. Zarr previously served as the Park Rx Advisor to the National Park Service in his national advocacy to connect patients to parks.
Dr. Zarr earned his medical degree at Baylor University and his MPH at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and completed residency in pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor.
Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves.
Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.
After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Our Mission: Support planetary health by nurturing heart-centered relationships between all peoples and the More-Than-Human World of Nature.
