Guided Forest Bathing at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

2660 Fawn Lake Drive Northeast,East Bethel MN 55005

04 November, 2022

Description

Awaken your senses and connect deeply to nature around and within you. Experience a gentle, sensory walk based on the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, or "forest bathing", in Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve. Located 40 minutes north of the Twin Cities in East Bethel, this University of Minnesota research station is dedicated to long-term experiments on ecology, species biodiversity, and impacts of climate change. For this event, we will follow the Cedar Bog Lake trail. This trail wends through savanna, forest, and cedar bog habitats, and is usually closed to the public. To learn more about Cedar Creek and its ecological and scientific significance, click here. Location: Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve - Cedar Bog Lake Trail Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/LS3uuvk798bEuoQu5 Notes: This activity will be held outdoors, with access to restrooms inside the Lindeman Center (our starting point). Forest bathing will occur rain, shine, or snow. Please dress so you are comfortable for the weather. NOTE: On colder or windy days, I suggest wearing an extra layer, as we won't be moving fast!Tea and light refreshments will be served to close the experience. As this is a University of Minnesota facility, we will follow the UMN guidelines for COVID. I am up to date on COVID vaccinations, including an Omicron booster. At the time of posting (9/21/22), masks are not required in UMN facilities. You are welcome to mask and/or maintain spatial distance, based on your comfort level.Meet your Guide: Kirsten Welge, MPH, WFA Kirsten is certified as a Nature & Forest Therapy Guide through the Association for Nature and Forest Therapy. She also holds Level III certification in Wildlife Track & Sign Identification and Wildlife Trailing through Cybertracker International. As a volunteer with the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project, she has led numerous teams for public track & sign surveys at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve since 2017. She also coordinated a pilot study of forest bathing at Cedar Creek in 2021-22, guiding over 14 walks between Cedar Creek and Crosby Farm Regional Park. Kirsten also serves as a Seasonal Educator at Cedar Creek, teaching grade schoolers how to decipher track & sign to read stories on the land. Learn more about Kirsten, forest bathing, and tracking at www.naturalawarenessguide.com.