Lilac Nature Connection
We support Greater Rochester in deepening our connection to nature through forest bathing, ethnobotany education, and community building.
Offerings
Public Walks
Join a forest bathing walk in one of our local parks. Click on your preferred date below to register at least two days before the walk.
Friday, August 1st @10am-12pm
Collaborations
If you're an organization, university, institution, or business, we want to partner with you to provide our nature-based team-building services. Please contact us to learn more.
Upcoming collaboration:
Forest bathing at Highland Park, July 20 @ 10am-12pm. Register here to reserve your free spot!
Private Events
Whether you're celebrating a bridal shower, honoring a loved one, or simply seeking a moment in nature — alone or with friends — we're here to guide you. Click here to learn more and schedule with us.
What is Forest Bathing?
Forest bathing is a guided nature immersion practice that invites you to slow down and connect with nature through your senses. The term comes from the idea of “bathing” in the atmosphere of the forest — not water. There's no swimming involved, no need for a swimsuit, and yes — clothing is required.
Our forest bathing experiences are shaped by the principles of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) and grounded in our backgrounds in nature-based education. During each walk, we offer a series of gentle invitations to help you engage with the land through your senses. You might notice the brilliant color of autumn leaves, breathe in the scent of damp earth, or listen to raindrops tapping on the forest floor.
Every forest bathing walk is different, shaped by the people who come, the place we’re in, and the moment we share.
"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."
~ Mary Oliver, Sometimes
Research
Decades of research tell different versions of the same story: nature is good for us! Here are just a few fascinating findings:
Boosted immunity
Breathing in airborne compounds released by Japanese hinoki cypress trees has been shown to enhance natural killer cell activity, which helps strengthen immune function and fight cancer.
DOI: 10.1177/039463200902200410
Faster recovery
Surgery patients in a Philadelphia hospital recovered more quickly and required less pain medication when their rooms had a view of leafy trees rather than a brick wall.
DOI: 10.1126/science.6143402
Greater kindness and integrity
College students who gazed at a towering grove of eucalyptus trees exhibited greater helpfulness, stronger ethical decision-making, and reduced entitlement compared to those who looked at a tall building.
DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000018
Boosted creativity and problem solving
Young adults who participated in multi-day Outward Bound trips showed significant improvements in creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051474
Stronger environmental values
College students who spent more time in nature as children demonstrated stronger pro-environmental attitudes compared to those with less childhood nature engagement.
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.540872
Click here for a deeper dive into the relevant research. And/or, follow the advice of Lauren’s mentor:
“The research is complicated. Go to the forest. It’s very simple.”
About Us
Lauren Mohn
Lauren grew up in Rochester, then lived and worked in Massachusetts, Guatemala, Wisconsin, Peru, and Pennsylvania, before coming back home. Farmers, children, skunk cabbage, and many others have taught her that the future depends on our emotional connection to the natural world. She has a PhD in botany and is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide through the ANFT.
Elio Lewis
Elio grew up in Washington before moving to upstate New York at age ten. A deep connection to place shaped their path toward healing and led them to study nature-based counseling at Naropa University. While they work as a therapist in private practice separately, Elio’s role with Lilac Nature Connection is as a guide and facilitator, supporting community through shared experiences in nature.