Guided by geographer Marko Leppänen & biologist Adela Pajunen this fall, we walked through, in and with a patch of forest in the Sipoonkorpi National Park (Helsinki region, Finland).
During this hybrid (on-site/online) walk, the authors of the Terveysmetsä (Health Forest) project shared some of their research experiences with a forest therapy model that has been incorporated into the official healthcare system in several districts in Finland.
During the collective performative walk, we observed the local forest creatures, plunged our faces in a moss carpet, listened, and co-created new forest stories. We talked about forests as places of refuge, myths and sacredness, a way of understanding oneself and others, as well as a standard canvas for industrial extraction of natural materials.
Thank you Marko and Adela for a most beautiful fall walk!