REI Certified Forest Therapy Guide Training 2024, Polish Group, Session 1:
The first session of the forest therapy certification training in Polish language has come to an end. We worked every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. What happened during this time?
– 9 field trips
– 5 forest bathing walks in different models, terrain conditions (old open forest, nature reserve, park, garden) and times of the day (morning, day, afternoon, night)
– lectures and workshops on forest bathing and the work of forest therapy guides
– forest ecology workshop with prof. Bogdan Jaroszewicz, biologist
– expedition to the Strict Bialowieza Primeval Forest Reserve with Lucyna Żłobin and Grażyna Chyra – Bialowieza Forest professional guides (this expedition was the Participants’ own initiative)
– basics of the group process and psychological first aid with psychotherapist and supervisor Monika Gendek
– basics of psychopathology and acute mental crises with Dr. Katarzyna Simonienko, psychiatrist
– identifying edible and medicinal plants in the field, forest tea brewing workshops – with phytotherapist and certified herbalist Katarzyna Rutkowska
– first aid in the field and the basics of survival skills completed with a separate certification with Bartek Guentzel and Tomasz Modrzewski – qualified paramedic, member of the emergency service
During the entire meeting, we were accompanied by animal persons: our inseparable doggy girl Kulka and another one – Hajdusia who visited from time to time, our guest dog girl Bambi and about 7 different cats, a fox, bisons and even a wolf. An eagle peeked in, owls, orioles, peacocks (!) and ravens were screaming and singing. Carabuses (beetles) were running around, even mosquitoes came to visit, but not for long 😉
The final classes during this spring session of the forest therapy training included field first aid. They were led by the incomparable Bartek Guentzel and Paramedic Tomasz Modrzewski. The classes lasted all day and ended with a separate certificate recognized by the National Labor Inspectorate and the Sanitary Inspectorate. The quality exceeded our expectations. In addition to resuscitation, bandaging wounds, stopping bleeding, administering adrenaline and protecting against hypothermia, we learned how to build a shelter in the forest in case of a storm, start a fire in a wet forest and navigate in the dark.
The participants have almost 4 months of intensive work in mentoring, online lectures and congress No. 2 in September, as well as exams before them. We keep our fingers crossed for their further development on the path of forest therapy guides.
