I am whole when I am with the trees, the birds, the rivers.
(And the blueberries. Don't forget the blueberries. )

One of my earliest memories of bliss is plunking myself down in a patch of blueberries on top of Bald Mountain near Barry's Bay, where my family camped during many childhood summers. I'm about 5 years old. The fat blueberries spill out of the little bucket at my side and my mouth is a smear of sticky blue. I can hear my mother's voice nearby, chatting with our friends. The sun shines, the butterflies float by, and I am on top of the world.

It was all there. Adventure, companions, peace, and the sweet, sweet gifts of nature. Time and time again, I've found similar hours of contentment paddling a canoe with friends and family, on solo hikes, cross-country skiing, doing yoga on a dock on the Ottawa River. I've also been blessed with moments of profound insight and healing in nature, through the ups-and-downs of life.

It gives me incredible joy to help open that door for others.

From a dugout canoe in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, to riding the rapids on the Nahanni River in Canada's Northwest Territories, times connecting with the more-than-human world have both stretched me and stirred my soul. And I hear that same invitation, every day, here in the forests and waters of the Ottawa Valley.

I look forward to walking with you!
                                                                        - Andrea

Andrea Prazmowski is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide, trained with the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides & Programs. She is a Certified Hike Leader with Hike Ontario and certified in Wilderness First Aid. Andrea has a Bachelor of Journalism degree and is a freelance writer and editor. She has facilitated learning groups and community partnerships of various kinds for more than 15 years, including faith communities and sustainability initiatives. She has earned a Permaculture Design Certificate, has trained in Reiki and Healing Pathway, and is now studying with The Sacred Gardener School and collaborating with Gaia Wellness Retreat.

"Forest Therapy,
as ably taught by Andrea,
refreshes the soul." 
- from a first-time participant