The International Society of Forest Therapy makes healing forests accessible to a wider audience, promote research on the health effects of forests, and establish high-quality training for forest therapists. It supports the professional exchange on the subject of forests and health between all the stakeholders.
Better access to healing forests, worldwide
The ISFT wants to make healing forests accessible to a wider audience. For this purpose, the ISFT defines a catalog of quality standards, which serves as a basis for certification of medicinal forests. This catalogue is based on the founding ideas of the ISFT, which exists now more than a decade and which have been further developed together since then. The ISFT also strives to promote relationships between forestry and health care institutions.
Research on the health benefits of forests
The ISFT promotes evidence-based research into the medical-therapeutic effects of forests and forest therapy and has therefore set itself the goal of making a clear distinction in the field with scientific findings and results. For this purpose, the ISFT supports scientific events and regularly co-organizes the international congress Forest and its Potential for Health. In addition, the ISFT awards a prize for exceptional research achievements.
Training as forest therapists
The ISFT works on the foundation and standardization of a curricula/training system and practice of forest therapy – taking into account national and regional specifics.
Board
Chairman
Manfred Baum, Germany
Deputy Chairman
Alex Gesse, Portugal
Secretary
Asst. Prof. Dr. Darija Cvikl, Slovenia
Deputy Secretary
Susanne Bauer, Germany
Treasurer
Mag. Dr. Udo Brändle LL.M. (Com), Austria
Board Member for Research Agendas
Sven Rüger, Germany
Honorary President
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. (mult.) Horst Klinkmann, , F.R.C.P.
Honorary Members
Dr. h.c. Mag. Heinz Boyer
contact mail@isft.info
Regional Governors
Austria
Dr. h.c. Mag. Heinz Boyer
Bhutan
Kunzang Wangmo
Brasil
Wolfgang Böhler
Germany
Dr. Stefan Seiberling
Iran
Prof. Dr. Sepideh Arbabi Bidgoli
Japan
Prof. Dr. Hiroko Ochiai
Lithuania
Dr. Stanislovas Čepinskas
Portugal
Miguel Vasco
Republic of Korea
Prof. Dr. Won Sop Shin
Slovenia
Asst. Prof. Dr. Darija Cvikl
Spain
Stefan Esser
USA
Amos M. Clifford