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About Your Guide ​

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These sessions are led by expert guide Lea Long, an ethologist with over three years of experience in outdoor education and guiding children and families through meaningful outdoor experiences. Lea is certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) and holds certifications in Basic Wilderness First Aid as well as Adult, Child, and Infant First Aid, CPR, and AED. She is highly experienced in safely leading both young children and adults through wilderness areas. With extensive knowledge of wildlife encounters and emergency response, Lea prioritizes safety above all else on every experience, creating a welcoming and supportive environment where participants can relax and fully enjoy the restorative benefits of time in nature.

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Forest Therapy Overview​

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Forest therapy, often called “forest bathing” is a gentle, guided experience designed to help people slow down, reconnect with nature, and support their physical and mental well being. The practice is inspired by Shinrin-yoku, which began in Japan in the early 1980s. At that time, researchers and public health leaders were increasingly concerned about the effects of rapid urbanization, long work hours, and the growing presence of technology in daily life. As more people spent their time indoors and in front of screens, stress, burnout, and disconnection from the natural world became increasingly common. Shinrin-yoku—meaning “taking in the forest atmosphere”—was introduced as a preventative health approach encouraging people to step away from modern pressures and immerse themselves in nature.

Forest therapy today builds on this idea by combining time in nature with mindful awareness and sensory exploration. A typical session moves slowly through a natural setting and is intentionally quiet, giving participants a rare opportunity to step away from conversation and the constant stimulation of everyday life. Rather than hiking or exercising, the focus is on slowing down and noticing the environment through sight, sound, touch, and breath.

During the experience, a certified guide offers a series of gentle “invitations”—open-ended prompts designed to help participants engage with the forest in their own way. After each invitation is shared, participants are given time to quietly explore on their own within a designated area, allowing for personal reflection and sensory awareness. After several minutes, the guide calls the group back together before offering the next invitation. This rhythm of gathering, exploring individually, and returning to the group creates a balance between solitude and shared experience while maintaining the quiet, restorative nature of the practice.

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• All Age Groups Welcome 

• Group Size: Small groups of up to 5 participants, or private 1 on 1 sessions.

• We encourage families to sign up together 

• Schedule: Sessions run Monday–Friday (book day and time slot that works best for you.

• Duration of Session: 2-2.5 hours

• Location: TO BE ANNOUNCED

• Seasonal Sessions ​​​

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Forest Therapy Learning Approach In Our Outdoor Education Programs

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Our immersive wildlife education program is an invitation to fully step into nature. Not as an observer from a distance, but as an active participant within the living world. Through guided hikes and intentional exploration, participants learn directly from the ecosystems surrounding them. Our backyard right here in Utah becomes the classroom, offering real-time lessons about local ecosystems, native wildlife, plant communities, animal behavior, and the delicate balance that sustains life.

This way of learning is profoundly impactful because it mirrors how humans have learned for most of our existence—through direct relationship with the natural world. By engaging the whole body and all the senses, learning becomes lived and integrated rather than conceptual. The scent of fresh dirt, the sound of birdsong and wind through the trees, the textures of earth beneath our hands and feet—these sensory experiences ground us in the present moment. As we slow down and tune in, the nervous system begins to calm, allowing curiosity, focus, and awareness to naturally expand. Concepts such as biodiversity, interdependence, adaptation, and conservation are no longer abstract ideas; they are felt, observed, and experienced in real time.

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​When the body feels safe, regulated, and grounded, the mind becomes more open and receptive. Unlike traditional lesson planning, which often prioritizes outcomes, schedules, and cognitive effort, this therapeutic approach allows understanding to arise organically. Attention is guided by genuine curiosity rather than instruction, and insights are embodied rather than memorized. Learning becomes more meaningful, memorable, and integrated.​ By combining immersive wildlife education with the restorative benefits of forest therapy, these guided experiences nurture both knowledge and wellbeing. Participants of all ages leave with a deeper understanding of our world's ecosystems and wildlife, along with a renewed sense of belonging, responsibility, and respect for the natural world. This approach honors nature as both teacher and healer—offering a powerful pathway to learning, wellness, remembrance, and meaningful connection to the living world and to ourselves.​

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Our immersive wildlife education experiences are offered year-round, embracing the idea that there is no such thing as bad weather—only being unprepared. Each season offers unique lessons, from tracking animals in fresh snow to observing plant adaptations in summer heat or witnessing seasonal transitions in spring and fall. With the right clothing and gear, nature becomes accessible and welcoming in all conditions, allowing us to learn and connect in every season.

Click here to learn more about our outdoor education programs. 

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For the safety, privacy, and preservation of our program sites, specific hiking locations are strictly protected and are never shared publicly. Exact locations are shared only with enrolled families, parents, and designated emergency contacts.

Our program operates throughout the Sandy, Draper, and Lehi areas, utilizing a rotating selection of canyon locations and trailheads. Locations of operation are established and communicated during the booking and enrollment inquiry processes. If you are interested in learning more about our programs and services, detailed documents outlining current and upcoming locations will be provided by the director upon inquiry.​​​​

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Session Fees:

• $75 per person per session

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To book a session or speak with our guide, please click the "Inquire Here"  button below.