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 an old 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 (ANFT) as well as a mentor and trainer with ANFT. 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 20 years, including faith communities and sustainability initiatives. Andrea has a Permaculture Design Certificate, has trained in Reiki and Healing Pathway, and studied with The Sacred Gardener School. She is also leading a new "Forest Church" initiative in Ottawa.

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