“Connecting Forest Bathing within the Ecotourism Market”

​​Nature-based tourism is a large growing component of national and international based tourism. There is a growing demand to provide tourists with outdoor activities, nature-based tours and opportunities for them to engage with the local landscape and culture. Join Kerry Walker as she shares her vision of developing ‘Wellness through Nature’, a Forest Bathing Ecotourism Initiative in Killarney. During this talk she will be sharing her journey of what led her to this project, how she is planning to develop it and how the practice of Forest Bathing can be an asset to the ecotourism industry.

Speaker: ​Kerry Walker

Kerry is a passionate Forest Therapy Practitioner, Forest School Leader and an Art Therapist based in the South-West of Ireland. She is the co-founder of Down to Earth Forest School, a nature based educational programme where children are supported to learn and create through nature. She runs environmental education workshops for primary schools and is part of the facilitator team for the Forest School Leadership programme. She has training in Eco-Psychology, Challenging Behaviour in the Outdoors, Therapeutic Play skills and is training in Therapeutic skills for children in the outdoors. Kerry has been guiding Forest Therapy walks for the past 4 years with a focus on integrating her art therapy experience within her walks. She is an apprentice trainer and mentor with the Forest Therapy Institute. She is currently setting up ‘Wellness through Nature’ where she will connect her therapeutic practice within the ecotourism market.