We all know that time spent in nature can have a powerful impact on our mood, our stress levels, and our sense of well-being. Most of us feel reinvigorated by spending even a short amount of time outside, breathing fresh air, feeling sunlight on our skin, or smelling the salty sea air. The benefits of spending time in nature are the basis of forest bathing, the practice of taking in the forest atmosphere through one’s senses. During the month of August, Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) invites visitors to enjoy a self-guided forest bathing walk at Heandricks Head Hiking Trail.

Hidden just a few steps away from the crowds of beachgoers at Hendricks Head Beach on Southport Island is Hendricks Head Hiking Trail, a quiet forest lush with mosses and lichens. This preserve is the perfect place to find solitude and soak up the health boosting effects of the outdoors. Guests to this preserve will encounter a series of written invitations spaced along the trail which offer gentle opportunities to build sensory awareness while exploring natural surroundings.

Forest bathing is a research-based practice that supports healing and wellness through immersion in natural environments. Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits from this practice, especially for the cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as in stabilizing and improving mood and cognition. Forest bathing walks are designed to cultivate nature connections and often offer transformational impacts for participants. Forest bathing is an open-ended practice with a defined sequence of events that provide structure to the experience, while still embracing opportunities for creativity and serendipity that are offered by the forest and individual inspiration.

During this time of social distancing, forest bathing offers great strategies to improve both mental and physical wellness. Designed by certified forest therapy guide and BRLT Environmental Educator, Tracey Hall, the leisurely walk at Hendricks Head Trail covers less than a mile of moderate terrain, and is estimated to take 1 hour to complete. Parking is available a short distance down the road at the Town of Southport’s Hendricks Head Beach and the self-guided walk is available seven days per week from sunrise to sunset. For more information on BRLT and directions to Hendricks Head Preserve visit bbrlt.org