About Us
Our Vision
A healthy Acadiana where every person has access to the healing power of nature.
Our Mission
In partnership with community leaders, we aim to design a network of forest bathing trails rooted in connection and care.
Our
Approach
The modern practice of Shinrin-yoku, often translated as “forest bathing,” was formally developed in Japan in the 1980s as a public health response to increasing stress, disconnection, and urbanization. Since then, growing research has explored the relationship between time in natural environments and nervous system regulation, stress reduction, mood, attention, and overall wellbeing.
At the same time, we recognize that human connection with land and nature did not begin with modern wellness culture or Western research. Across cultures and throughout history, many Indigenous and ancestral communities have understood the relationship between land, body, community, spirituality, and healing.
Here in Louisiana, we acknowledge the longstanding relationship Indigenous peoples — including the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana and other Indigenous communities connected to the Gulf South region — have had with forests, waterways, plants, and seasonal rhythms long before colonization.
Our intention is not to appropriate or redefine these traditions, but to respectfully recognize that humans have long turned toward the natural world for connection, meaning, regulation, and restoration.
At Acadiana Forest Bathing, our forest bathing and nature-based offerings are informed by modern nervous system research, somatic principles, mindfulness practices, and deep respect for the historical and cultural relationships people have had with the land across generations.
Our
Partners
We are always looking for more community connections! Please reach out if:
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You are interested in the health and wellbeing of the Acadiana region
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You have an idea for a new trail in the network
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You'd like to host an event or a guided walk
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You have feedback about how we might improve our approach
Our
Logo
Our logo evokes the feeling we have when practicing forest bathing. The leaves embrace us, the blooming flowers awaken our senses, and birds join us in the immersive experience. The Prothonotary warbler, or "swamp canary" acts as a guide for our experience, a reminder that every little part of the forest helps to connect us.