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Welcome to the Accessible Forest Practice educational pathway!
Imagine a compass with four directions, each offering different competencies:
Where to begin?
These educational materials offer a journey with four possible routes. A suggested learning pathway is outlined below, though the pace and order can be tailored entirely to your preferences.
Step 1
Familiarise yourself with the project context - watch the podcasts from the main page and read the project information. Please read through the introduction in the Manual.
Estimated time: 1.5 hours.
Step 2
West: Connection with Nature – strengthen your relationship with nature. Without this relationship, Accessible Forest Practice cannot be carried out.
On this page, you'll find audio recordings, videocasts and educational templates to help you deepen this relationship. One of the key experiences is your immersion in nature – for this purpose, you can choose one of four audio recordings from our collection or take part in an organised forest bathing walk.
Estimated time: familiarising yourself with the materials will take approximately 6 hours, whilst the actual practice of building a relationship with nature should be spread over several weeks.
Step 3
East: Group – learn about different vulnerable groups, their needs, their characteristics, and build competencies for working with these individuals.
Only then can you ensure participants have a positive and safe experience in nature.
The primary source of knowledge is the Accessible Forest Manual.
Additionally, on this page you'll find audio recordings, videocasts and educational templates to help deepen your knowledge and offer practical tools.
Estimated time: familiarising yourself with the materials will take approximately 20 hours. However, the actual practice of building rapport with participants may take several weeks.
Step 4
North: Self-awareness – prepare yourself mentally for hosting groups in nature, and examine your competencies needed to deliver the complete experience with your chosen group in a natural environment. On this page, you'll find audio recordings, videocasts and educational templates to assist you in self-reflection and building several important skills, attitudes and knowledge.
Estimated time: familiarising yourself with the materials will take approximately 3 hours, whilst the actual practice of developing self-awareness may take several days of personal work.
Step 5
South: Practice – dedicate time to properly prepare for delivering a safe experience in nature with your chosen group. Prepare the experience location, prepare participants, gather appropriate equipment and build your team.
The primary source of knowledge is the Accessible Forest Manual. Additionally, on this page, you'll find videocasts and educational templates to help deepen your knowledge and offer practical tools.
Estimated time: familiarising yourself with the materials will take approximately 3 hours, whilst practical preparation may take several weeks.
How much time is needed to prepare for Accessible Forest Practice?
We encourage you not to rush into delivering your first experience. We recommend planning at least two months to thoroughly familiarise yourself with the content of the Accessible Forest Manual and delve into each of the four compass directions of competency.
Don't rush – consider carefully where and with whom you wish to venture into nature.
Legal aspects:
Whilst these materials contain guidance and tools to support the creation of inclusive and meaningful nature immersion experiences, they do not replace the need for professional legal advice tailored to your location and circumstances.
We strongly recommend consulting with appropriate legal, environmental or administrative authorities to ensure your activities meet all local requirements.
When organising nature walk experience sessions, you accept full responsibility for addressing any legal matters related to your initiatives. This proactive approach will not only ensure participant safety but also strengthen the integrity and sustainability of your work.
In which languages are these materials available?
English is the primary project language – here you'll find the complete Accessible Forest Practice programme. In other language versions (Polish, Portuguese, German and Hungarian), most materials have been translated, whilst some remain in English. The educational manual is available in all languages; differences relate to supplementary materials such as work templates, podcasts and audio recordings.
Let's develop the Accessible Forest Practice community together!
Accessible Forest Manual
Accessible Forest Manual
This is the most important educational material of the entire project. Without thoroughly familiarising yourself with this manual, you cannot fully understand Accessible Forest Practice.
This material in PDF and EPUB format forms the foundation of knowledge about Accessible Forest Practice. The manual contains approximately 200 pages of text and over 200 illustrations and photographs from actual walks conducted as part of the project. The manual is based on the Accessible Forest Practice competency model. It introduces the broader context of this practice, contains descriptions of specific experiences with vulnerable groups, and offers tools for assessing your own competencies.
The manual contains specific guidance tailored to the particular needs of each of the following groups:
- People with intellectual and/or physical disabilities
- People facing mental health challenges
- Older adults
- People experiencing difficulties related to excessive use of digital devices
- Migrants, including refugees
Estimated time: Familiarising yourself with the manual content will take approximately 13 hours. However, time may extend significantly depending on the time needed for personal reflection and competency analysis.
West: Connection with Nature
This direction focuses on your relationship with nature and your ability to create a conscious connection between participants and the natural world. Here, your relationship with nature, ecological awareness and understanding of ecosystems are of paramount importance.
Questions for reflection:
- What activities might deepen connection with nature?
- How can we approach the natural environment to create a better experience for participants?
Developing these competencies will enable you to deliver an authentic and nature-aligned experience for others.
Educational materials:
Read through the Accessible Forest Manual, then explore the remaining materials:
Videocast:
Audio recordings:
Templates: (files in PDF)
- Download "Relationship with Nature" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "Environmental awareness" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Leaf Movie" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Connect to a Tree" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Cultivating/Encouraging Relationship with Nature" (PDF, 0.9 MB)
- Download "Adoring nature - Sit Spot Practice" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Smell" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Hearing" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "Universal Walk Model" (PDF, 0.7 MB)
- Download "Heart" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Connection with nature" (PDF, 0.7 MB)
East: Group
This direction focuses on competencies related to working with those taking part in nature walks. Here, understanding participants' needs, emotional states, and group dynamics is essential, as is adapting your communication style and facilitation approach to suit the group's character. You must also consider how to make both the space and language accessible to everyone, whilst fostering group cohesion.
Questions for reflection:
- What needs and expectations do participants have?
- How can I adapt language and facilitation style to the group's characteristics?
- Which tools and communication methods will be most effective?
- How can the natural environment support group dynamics?
These competencies will enable you to create a supportive and inclusive environment, enriching the shared forest walking experience and responding to the unique needs of different groups.
Educational materials:
Videocasts:
Templates: (files in PDF)
- Download "Listening attentively" (PDF, 0.6 MB)
- Download "Communication" (PDF, 0.9 MB)
- Download "Communication, verbal and nonverbal" (PDF, 0.8 MB)
- Download "Knowledge about participants" (PDF, 0.6 MB)
- Download "Responsibility for each member of the group" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Knowledge about accessibility" (PDF, 0.8 MB)
- Download "Accessibility knowledge for a specific population - Facilitation of Nature Connection" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Basic knowledge about vulnerable groups" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "A Dozen Practical Tips for Forest Walks with Children (6–12 years)" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Leave your phone behind" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Map of reflection" (PDF, 0.8 MB)
- Download "Embracing acculturation stress and vulnerability" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "Embracing cultural differences" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
North: Self-awareness
This compass direction emphasises self-awareness. It focuses on competencies related to your self-reflection. Self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership – it means understanding your own strengths, limitations and resources.
Key competencies in this area include the ability for self-reflection, constructive self-assessment skills, knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses, and flexibility in adapting to different situations.
Questions for reflection:
- What are my strengths and limitations in the context of AFP practice?
- What resources do I need to create a supportive environment and effectively facilitate a nature experience?
- How do my personal vision and intentions influence the way I lead?
By exploring these questions, you'll develop a deeper understanding of your own role in facilitating nature walks and cultivate the confidence and humility essential for good AFP practice.
Educational materials:
Read through the Accessible Forest Manual, then explore the remaining materials:
Videocats:
Audiorecordings:
Templates:
- Download "Adaptability" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "Attentiveness" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Warm-up Exercises" (PDF, 0.7 MB)
- Download "Holding Space" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Servant leadership - Archetypes" (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Download "Multitasking " (PDF, 0.8 MB)
South: Practice
This direction focuses on practice as the foundation for preparing and guiding groups through specific processes in natural environments. It emphasises practical competencies essential for session planning, organisational skills, resource management and the ability to adapt to changing conditions during practice.
Questions for reflection:
- Considering my previous experiences, what steps must I take to prepare the location and tools for sessions?
- What specific actions will I take to support participants' experiences during practice?
- Which resources are crucial for participants to feel comfortable and safe?
Through these questions, you can prepare an experience that strengthens your ability to plan, adapt and effectively facilitate sessions, ensuring participants have a supportive environment.
Educational materials:
Read through the Accessible Forest Manual, then explore the remaining materials:
Videocats:
Ścieżki dźwiękowe
Templates:
- Download "Sense of touch" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Specifics of the location of a walk / Trail" (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Download "Story of the Seed" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "My Forest Walk - Playfulness" (PDF, 2 MB)
- Download "Make a Photo" (PDF, 0.6 MB)
- Download "Group dynamics" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "First Aid" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "Nonjudgmental communication" (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Download "Inclusive communication - beyond words" (PDF, 1.1 MB)