Academy of Place

Shaping, certifying, and tending the places that hold this work.

Forest therapy lives in places: quiet woodlands, coastal paths, urban greenways, gardens, and grounds. The Academy of Place grounds the work in the land itself — through a standardized process for certifying Trails, Spaces, and Places (TSPs), and through training for the consultants who steward that process alongside land managers.

Why certify a place?

A certified site aligns your land with a trusted global standard for immersive, healing nature experience. Certification assures quality and consistency for visitors, nurtures reciprocity between people and land, and brings recognition through a worldwide network — including feature placement in a newsletter reaching over 25,000 readers. Certification, once granted, is perpetual.

• For land stewards — parks, preserves, resorts, retreat centers, sacred sites, and private lands
• For guides — Healing Trails, which expands your professional practice into place-making
• A global map of certified trails, spaces, and places, growing across continents

Certify Your Trail

Imagine your land as a destination where visitors find peace, connection, and renewal. By partnering with the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy (ANFT), you can transform your trails, spaces, or places into certified forest therapy sites that offer profound well-being benefits for your patrons while enhancing the ecological integrity of your land.

Why Partner with ANFT?

ANFT is the global leader in forest therapy, setting the standard for high-quality, immersive nature experiences. Our certified consultants and guides bring expertise in designing and curating spaces that foster deep connections between people and nature. When you collaborate with us, you align your land with a trusted organization that enhances its value, visibility, and impact.

Benefits of Certifying Your Site with ANFT

Foster Reciprocity
A certified forest therapy site nurtures a mutually beneficial relationship between visitors and the land. Through carefully curated experiences, participants develop a deeper appreciation for nature, fostering long-term stewardship and respect for the environment.

Strengthen Community Bonds
Your land can become a hub for nature lovers, wellness seekers, and those looking to deepen their relationship with the outdoors. Certified sites encourage community engagement, providing a gathering place for guided walks, workshops, and nature-based healing experiences.

Enhance Visitor Engagement
Transformative experiences await those who visit an ANFT-certified space. Our approach integrates sensory immersion, slow-paced exploration, and mindfulness practices, creating a profound impact on guests seeking stress relief, mental clarity, and rejuvenation.

Ensure Quality and Consistency
By working with an ANFT consultant, you guarantee that your forest therapy site meets the highest standards. This ensures a consistent, high-quality experience that visitors will return for and recommend to others.

Gain Global Recognition and Visibility
Becoming a certified ANFT site means increased exposure through our extensive network, including:

• Feature placement in our monthly newsletter (25,000+ recipients)
• Promotion through our active social media platforms
• A dedicated partner listing on our website
• Recognition on our Global Network Map of certified sites
• A complimentary 6-month venue listing on the Forest Bathing Finder

Join the Movement – Create a Lasting Impact

By partnering with ANFT, you contribute to a global movement that prioritizes well-being, ecological integrity, and meaningful nature experiences. Whether you manage a park, preserve, resort, or private retreat, our consultants and guides can help you design a space that welcomes visitors into the healing power of nature.

Let’s work together to transform your site into a sanctuary of renewal. Contact us today to begin your journey toward certification.

Ask yourself, “Is this a place where people can connect deeply with nature?” If the answer is yes, then the site is probably a good candidate for certification.

The process of exploring for and discovering a suitable trail, space or place need not be confined to wild areas. It may also include places such as urban parks, landscaped grounds of hospitals, community gardens, arboretums and botanical gardens.

We consider any trail or site that allows for and supports interaction between people and the more-than-human world of Nature. Certification is not based on how many of the criteria elements are met, rather we assess to what degree the criteria elements are present and how we may be able to nurture and enhance those elements. Any organization seeking to have a trail or site designated as a certified Forest Therapy site will receive a thorough assessment that includes recommendations to improve or enhance the Forest Therapy experience for participants and practitioners alike.

Not sure yet? Join a monthly open call — an unhurried conversation about what this path asks and offers.