Ireland & England Institute Coordinator

Shirley Gleeson lives in Dublin and is a Nature and Wellbeing Consultant and the founder of Ecowellness Consulting Limited, formerly known as Nature, Health & Wellbeing Ireland. She holds master’s degrees in both health promotion and social work and has over twenty years of experience working in the areas of health and social care in the public and private sector. She designs nature-based interventions to improve and enhance people's health and well-being and facilitates nature-based training for mental health professionals.

Shirley was the first Certified Forest Therapy Guide in Europe, after completing her training in the US with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT) in 2014. She was a mentor and trainer with the ANFT and has mentored guides from all over the world.

She has extensive postgraduate training in ecotherapy, expressive arts therapy, counselling, stress management, dialectical behavioural therapy skills, behavioural family therapy and therapeutic use of mindfulness.

Shirley has presented her forest therapy research and practice at international conferences in Ireland, Greece, Switzerland, the UK and Austria and recently addressed the United Nations in Geneva on the topic of forests and human health. She trained as a nature guide with Eco Training in South Africa and has completed an internship with the South African National Parks.

Shirley has a deep love and respect for nature, especially trees.

Ann Tilman integrates health, nature connection, art, stress handling, divergent thinking, performance coaching and team dynamics. As the founder of Foresterra, she offers nature-based experiences in Belgium and Italy. By connecting people, nature and culture, she stimulates ecotourism and transformative learning as an ultimate inspiration for meaningful changes in our life and the world.

Ann has over 20 years of HR experience in life sciences and arts. As an HR director, she specialises in organizational development, value creation and culture building as well as aligning people practices with growth objectives. To deal with psychosocial well-being, work-life balance, stress and burnout she advocates mindfulness in nature, self-leadership, appreciative inquiry, feedback culture and yoga breaks. Her professional development can be characterized by a belief in pragmatism leading to intelligent practice. She is convinced that people are capable of more than they think. Her main challenge in life is to stimulate people to explore and use their full potential.

Ann holds a Master in Roman Philology and International Affairs. She is a keen yogi and qi gong practitioner and trained in mindfulness. To her, nature is a place for healing and personal growth. Ann is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute (FTI).

In 2018 she completed her training with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT) and became the first Certified Forest Therapy Guide in Belgium. She designs introduction workshops, self-care and corporate wellness programmes for individuals, teams and organizations.

Jacques has been involved in the field of nature protection and social work for the last twenty years. Nature has always played an important part in his life, tracing memories back on his childhood, when he used to go walking and foraging in the woods, with one of his grandfathers.

He has been offering walks and nature connected services to the general public, as well as to some institutions and associations.

He often works with partners such as yoga teachers, Qi Qong & Mindfulness practitioners, for instance, to have thematic days based on forest bathing with a broader scope in terms of content.

His engagement has seen different stages. The most important part has been as the founder and director of an organic market garden in link with a network, known in France as "Jardin de Cocagne". For almost 15 years, he managed and developed this activity, which aimed to help people with social & health difficulties to re/integrate work environments.

During that time, he set up two market gardens on two different locations. The initial one, was dedicated to the production of organic vegetables and herbs, while the other was solely flower growing. As such, it was one of the two first sites in France, known as "Fleurs de Cocagne", to produce organic cut-flowers, used to create and sell original bunches of flowers, directly to customers.

Prior to that, he worked as a marketing executive, in England, for an innovative start-up company, involved in the design, production and selling of mobile earth satellites.

Jacques holds a Master of Arts in Marketing, as well as Master of Management in Social & Solidarity Entities (DESS). He also possesses a CELTA qualification through the Cambridge English Teaching Framework.

In completion of his main diplomas, he trained in permaculture and as a sound therapist. He practices yoga and meditation on a regular basis, and occasionally some Qi Qong.

Jacques is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute (FTI). In 2016, following his training in Ireland with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, he became the first Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner in France.

Caitlin Keddie is the founder of Forest Therapy Scotland, and became Scotland’s first certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide in 2017. Caitlin lives in Glasgow and offers Forest Bathing through public and private events around Scotland.

Having had a close relationship with the natural world throughout her childhood, Caitlin has been interested in natural health and well-being all her life. For the last 8 years, Caitlin has been working with Scotland’s oldest herbal establishment Napiers the Herbalists. She was director and manager of their busy multi-disciplinary health clinic and herbal apothecary in Glasgow, and now runs Napiers Bathgate, a community interest company (CIC) set up to make natural medicine and health education more accessible for local communities. Caitlin is passionate about holistic health and well-being, and is a strong advocate for spending time in nature for mental health, as well as physiological health.

Caitlin’s focus is on creating a safe, supportive and accessible space where people can enhance their well-being through mindful connection with nature, giving participants all the tools necessary to create a deep and long-lasting relationship with the natural world and their local community. Caitlin also loves to share her wide knowledge of plants and their many health benefits on her guided walks.

Caitlin’s work has featured on BBC Landward, BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Out of Doors’ and ‘Kaye Adams’ programmes, the Herald Scotland, the Scottish Sun, the Holistic Scotland Magazine, as well as various radio discussions on nature for mental health.

Caitlin is a Certified Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute. Also a Certified Forest Therapy Guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT).

Claudio is responsible for the Instituto de Baños de Bosque (Chile). Founder of Bosque para Ti, pioneer of Forest Bathing practice in South America.

He is a Forest Bathing Adviser for the Department of Protected Areas of CONAF, Ministry of Agriculture of Chile.

He facilitates and develops techniques of connection with nature to improve employees' health benefits through natural environments. Claudio develops programmes for companies and organizations in stress management, employee well-being and stimulation of creativity and teamwork.

With its operations centre in Valdivia, where his projects are developed under the eaves of the Valdivian rainforest.

Certified Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute. He is also a Forestry Consultant, Technician in Risk Prevention and Environment, Engineer in Risk Prevention, Master Student in Occupational Hygiene, (E) Diploma in Ecotourism. He has been mentioned and/or interviewed; Radio El Conquistador where he actively participates in the Gen Viajero programme; Diario La Tercera, Diario La Segunda and Publimetro.

Pedro M. Trindade has worked as an intern and collaborated in research in the Schau- und Sichtungsgarten Hermannshof, in Weinheim, Germany.

Back in Portugal, he decided to dedicate himself to one of his other passions – dance – teaching and leading several artistic and choreographic projects.

Passionate for personal growth and the development of health and wellness habits, he decided to create in 2018 his blog Peace of Plant, sharing content on how contact with nature, plants and the art of gardening can be a source of well-being in our lives.

Discovering Forest Bathing was something that allowed Pedro to reconcile his several interests, from the contact with public and personal development, to health and wellness habits promotion and environmental protection.

Pedro holds a MSc in Landscape Architecture by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Oporto. He is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide.

Paco is an amateur percussionist with musical training and is passionate about writing, both disciplines are fundamental in his life. The practice of forest bathing is the basis on which he develops his projects for the creation of experiences in nature.

Galician by birth and heart, he has spent more than half of his life in Madrid, developing activities in the field of IT consulting, specialized in the field of Human Resources, and the development and implementation of agile methodologies (Lean, Scrum), as a means to optimize and humanize business processes.

He studied Technical Engineering of IT Systems in Madrid. In addition, he has a master's degree in creative writing (Hotel Kafka), and has completed different courses and retreats of Vipassana meditation. He is a Certified Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute (FTI). He is also a Guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT).

Marta is a social community worker for more than ten years and focused her career in relationships with people, supporting them and encouraging their resilience and sense of belonging to their community.

She is now the social work representative in her city’s Health Board, diagnosing cases of non desired loneliness, helping with immigration procedures and also welcoming refugees and people seeking international protection.

Marta is a nurse and has a master degree in Tropical Medicine and International Health. She has worked in county and district programmes related to cooperation development. She has evaluated and led nutritional and health projects in the NGO Action Against Hunger in different countries, strengthening local public health systems integrating programs to their structures.

Marta studied emotional ecology, as the sustainable and creative management of emotions to improve the self, our relationships and the world we live in.

As a teacher, she has worked in Barcelona’s Nurse School, in NGOs and in local and regional institutions.
She is FTI’s Forest Bathing Guide and Forest Therapy Practitioner. She sees nature, art and music as connection ties for people and civilizations. She likes getting to know other cultures and surroundings, and also listening and observing how nature, people and life itself are all interconnected. 

Katarzyna Simonienko is a psychiatrist, a medical practitioner and a scientific researcher, PhD in psychiatry. She works at the Mental Health Hospital in Choroszcz, in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of Bialystok and in outpatient services in Bialystok, Poland. She is a Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner by FTI.

She works in the fields of different mental health diseases and stress prophylaxis as well. She is a founder of the first medical forest bathing centre in Poland: Centrum Terapii Lasem/Forest Therapy Centre PL. From 2018, she is a licensed guide of the Białowieża National Park. She is a member of the Japanese shinrin-yoku organization INFOM (International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine). Currently, she runs forest therapy workshops, leads shinrin-yoku walks in Poland, she also promotes medical knowledge in the field of forest therapy on scientific conferences, in medical journals and in the media in Poland and abroad.

She paints, photographs wildlife and runs a Facebook fanpage "Zapuszczeni/Beforested" about nature, and "Galeria Silva" about her art. She is interested in herbal medicine, old stories, different worlds, archetypes, fairy tales, legends, old European cultures (Celts, Slavs, Vikings), tribal cultures and related ethnopsychiatry.

"The forest is a huge, wise book, from which we can learn many useful things. It is a work of original and unmanageable art. A living organism, a pharmacy, a palpable arrangement of bubble worlds and a friend. A bag of fairy tales, a source of archetypes, fears and comforts. The Context. That’s why I am here."

Marco Nieri is a bio-researcher and an expert on habitat health. He began working as an expert in bio-ecological design of living and working environments, using the most vital knowledge of East and West, aware of the circular relationship between Man and Environment.

Driven by the desire to deepen the knowledge of our habitat, for over fifteen years he has closely collaborated with Dr. Walter Kunnen of Antwerp (Belgium), who in 1960 founded "Archibo Biologica", an independent scientific research centre on the Biosphere and the energetic influences exerted on living organisms by natural and artificial electromagnetism, a reference point for hundreds of doctors and naturopaths from all over Europe. This experience led him to special research to study plant bio-electromagnetism and its influence on the human organism. Thus he elaborated the "Bioenergetic Landscapes", an innovative technique with which he creates bioenergetic parks and gardens to benefit human beings.

He collaborates with Marco Mencagli to deepen the themes of Forest Medicine with multidisciplinary studies, and to apply this new research in the creation of scientifically based Forest Bathing paths in Italy and abroad. Together they wrote the book "The Secret Therapy of Trees", ed. Penguin Random House, 2019, also published in Italy and France. Marco also published the book: "Bioenergetic Landscape", ed. Sistemi Editoriali, Italy, 2009. Articles, interviews and reviews on his work and research are constantly published in the Italian and foreign press.

Marco is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute (FTI).

Kerry Walker is a passionate Forest School Practitioner and an Eco-Art Therapist.

She currently lives on the West Coast of Ireland, where she experiences the daily language and connection of nature landscape. She feels strongly that this connection with nature and each other is vital at this moment in time.

Her appreciation for nature and art has brought her on creative journey's around the world. She has facilitated creative arts programmes in Spain, India, Guatemala and Chile, with a focus using art and nature as a tool for integration, connection and awareness.

She is the co-founder of Down to Earth Forest School, a nature based educational programme where children are supported to learn and create through nature. She is also part of the facilitator team for the Forest School Leadership programme that takes place in Galway.

She feels fortunate to work in Brigit’s Garden, a Celtic Garden in Galway set within 11 acres of native woodland & wildflower meadows. It is here where she is a part of the Environmental Education team. She facilitates workshops on environmental and sustainability issues, and nature connection workshops for Primary and Secondary School children.

Kerry holds a Masters in Art Therapy and she is currently training in Eco-Psychology and Therapeutic Play Skills for Children. She is a Certified Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Guide by the Forest Therapy Institute (FTI). Since completing the Certified Forest Therapy guide training with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, she has led monthly forest therapy walks in Brigit’s Garden and various woodlands around Galway.

She is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide by FTI.

Mila is also an experienced translator; she collaborates with the independent publishing house "Dvi Tylos/Two Silences" and this year together with a colleague she translated the book "Shinrin-Yoku: the Art and Science of Forest Bathing" by dr. Qing Li into Lithuanian language.

She guides walks in urban forests of Vilnius and other Lithuanian forests. Mila is one of the organizers of the annual Forest Festival which takes place in Anyksciai town; in 2019 during the festival she coordinated Forest Therapy day – a whole day dedicated to forest bathing and therapy.

Pietro Ostano is as a freelance professional working in the fields of Language Coaching, Forest Bathing and Group Dynamics.

Following his early childhood years in Africa, he moved to the Italian Alps and has always lived in rural areas; a true extension of his comfort zone, this environment helps him build nature-based learning experiences for kids and adults.

He works with schools, banks, incentive travel agencies, professionals and families and has recently been assigned two teaching positions at a vocational high school operating in challenging contexts.

During summertime he is usually involved in leading residential summer camps in the Alps, study-vacations abroad, hiking trips, or enjoying free time to explore new pathways, spending time outdoors.

Pietro has successfully organised and coordinated volunteer-based trail cleanups in the Cervo Valley as a way of promoting physical, psychological and social health, to encourage interaction, and reduce isolation.

His engineering background hasn’t stopped him exploring psychology, sociology and the human condition in general.

His Forest Bathing approach relies on his intense and variegated lifestyle and his experience with people, and is aimed at improving healthy relationships by healing and reinforcing self-esteem, empathy, hence reciprocity.

His goal is to coach individuals, groups and organisations into learning and using their interpersonal skills to create a healthier and happier society for us humans and the natural environment we all depend on.