Forest Therapy Guide Training
Florida - Cohort 20
Registering for a training begins by completing an application which may take 20-30 minutes. This application is a way for us to get to know you and to determine if we think you will make a good forest therapy guide. Once your application is received, our admissions team will review it and, if you are accepted into the program, send an acceptance letter within three weeks. This letter will contain all the information for next steps, including a registration link to reserve your space in the training. To promote an optimal learning environment, we generally cap enrollment at 21 participants per training. Applications we receive after we have filled the training will be placed on a waitlist. If an accepted applicant drops out, we will contact the next applicant on the waitlist until the training is full again.
Entering The Griffin Ranch you encounter an era of a classic, old Florida ranch life: a world capturing the romance and elegance of a by-gone era. The Ranch is set on 30 acres filled with ponds, pastures and wooded areas. It features guest cottages and cabins with antique interiors in a timeless unhurried atmosphere. We are thrilled to welcome guests to our Ranch who are seeking an escape from a daily routine to share in an experience that enables one to enjoy close encounters with farm and Florida wildlife, Such as black bear, deer, red tail hawks, sandhill cranes, gators, and more. At sunset, you can sit by the grassy pond and experience life as described by legendary authors and philosophers such as Walden, Thoreau, and Rawlings.
The Griffin Ranch is one of the most strategically positioned escapes in Florida, positioned west of the National Forest and north of Silver Springs. Our ranch provides a destination that is essential to experiencing Florida. An area that is a favorite among many enthusiasts for its scenic trails. It is a chosen destination for those who enjoy canoeing and Kayaking. The Ocklawaha River and the Juniper springs run are the two most scenic canoeing and kayaking destinations in the US. You could also enjoy our other activates like hiking in the forest, biking along a scenic highways, scuba diving in the local springs such as Devils Den or Blue Grotto Springs, Horseback riding along the 100 mile trail or just exploring many of the wildlife areas around the ranch. A new 4-wheeler park opened minutes just east of the ranch offering the off-road beauty of the area. You may also choose to take a day trip to a local spring for a cool dip or maybe a trip to the historical town of St. Augustine and the local beaches located within an hour drive.
Best of all, there is always the choice to relax on a wooden deck in a rocking chair while watching, the sun rise or the moon climb over the grassy ponds. You can rest on the cottage porch and enjoy some of the best foods in the southeast while tasting a glass of fine wine from the ranch winery, over a conversation with new-found friends in a real life ranch setting, then and only then you’ll begin to appreciate what the Griffin Ranch has come to be famous for.
Lodging:
$75/night all inclusive.
Food:
Vegetarian, gluten free, vegan options available.
Transportation:
Village Airport van: 352-241-2000 $50/person. Drop off point- Walmart, East Hwy 40. Transportation to and from Walmart is not an issue.
The Griffin Ranch, an iconic old Florida ranch reminiscent of a by-gone era situated on the outskirts of Ocala National Forest.
Schedule for Live Events
Tuition
Registering for a training begins by completing an application which may take 20-30 minutes. This application is a way for us to get to know you and to determine if we think you will make a good forest therapy guide. Once your application is received, our admissions team will review it and, if you are accepted into the program, send an acceptance letter within three weeks. This letter will contain all the information for next steps, including a registration link to reserve your space in the training. To promote an optimal learning environment, we generally cap enrollment at 21 participants per training. Applications we receive after we have filled the training will be placed on a waitlist. If an accepted applicant drops out, we will contact the next applicant on the waitlist until the training is full again.
Read MoreTrainers
Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.
Entrenadores
Ronna Schneberger has been a professional award winning naturalist, interpreter, and hiking guide in the Canadian Mountain Parks for 25 years. She is a yoga teacher of 20 years and in the last decade incorporated yoga, meditation, and coaching in nature. The results were profound. In her quest to understand why time in nature easily creates powerful experiences, she became a Forest Therapy Guide with the ANFT, one of the first in Canada. Ronna is a trainer and mentor for forest therapy guides. She is faculty with Leadership Development at the Banff Centre where she works with leaders, professionals and executives from all over the world using nature as the teacher to create powerful reflections and transformation. She is the Chair of the ANFT Canadian Council, along with her team; she looks forward to promoting Forest Therapy in Canada.
Lucy Heggenstaller is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Lucy has been guiding her friends and strangers on nature walks for decades but recently formalized her training with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. She is found wandering the forests of Central Pennsylvania almost daily, usually in the company of her Retrievers, Tupelo Honey and Sirius. She owns Dancing Bear Lodge, a vacation rental and venue in Clinton County. (Look it up on Facebook or www.dancingbearlodgepa.com ) She hosts environmental education, creativity and wellness programs at her lodge. She promotes outings for inner transformation on a MeetUp called Wild By Nature.
