Fri, Sep 19, 2025 page3

• Agency certifies forest therapy guides

  • By Esme Yeh / Staff reporter
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  There were 89 certified forest therapy guides nationwide as of last month, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said on Wednesday, adding that the goal is to industrialize the profession.

  The agency held a certification ceremony for 55 newly qualified forest therapy guides, in addition to 34 guides who have previously earned the certification in 2023.

  Lin said the forest therapy training program is different from the agency’s training program for forest ecotour guides, which focuses on enhancing tour guides’ abilities for ecological interpretation.

  

  A woman hugs a tree during a forest therapy session in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Forest Therapy Society

  While forest ecotour guides provide in-depth knowledge of local ecosystems, cultures and history, forest therapy guides utilize forest resources to help visitors relieve mental and physical stress, he said.

  People can experience forest bathing simply by walking into the woods, but professional forest therapy guides can help people explore the forest through their five senses and use activities such as meditation to achieve thorough relaxation, Lin said.

  The forest therapy industry has been developed in many countries including Germany, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea, he said, adding that he expects forest therapy to help boost economies in mountainous and indigenous communities.

  For example, local plants can be made into tea, which can provide aromas for visitors to smell, he added.

  Taiwan Forest Therapy Society president Yu Chia-pin (余家斌) said the society began to design a forest therapy training program in 2017, incorporating lots of scientific forestry knowledge.

  Similar programs in the US, Germany and Japan revolve around public health and therapeutic activities, while Taiwan’s program incorporates more courses on forest cultures and distinctive local environments, he said.

  More than 8,000 people registered as trainees on the program’s online platform, 89 of whom finished all the courses and were certified as forest therapy guides as of last month, Yu said.

  Forest therapy guides’ job is not to teach detailed knowledge about forests, but to help those who are less connected with nature to explore the forest, he said.

  “However, not every forest is suitable for performing forest therapy,” Yu said, calling on industry players to choose proper locations and prioritize safety.

  Forest therapy guide Chen Yan-ling (陳彥伶), who also works as an aromatherapist, said she began to receive training at her boss’ suggestion when the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted her company.

  Learning forest therapy equipped her with more knowledge and resources that could be applied in aromatherapy, she said.

  Forest therapy guide Lin Shih-yi (林士懿), who is an outdoor activity enthusiast, said forest therapy could be a solution to Taiwan’s aging society.

  The forest therapy he provides focuses on exercises and geriatric health, with the goal of building forests into “green gymnasiums,” he said.

  The agency said it has held more than 80 forest therapy events nationwide since October last year.

  It would obtain the Ministry of Labor’s International Competency Alignment Program certification for the forest therapy training program by the end of this year to enhance the program’s credibility, it added.
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