We all know that time spent in nature can have a powerful impact on our mood, our stress levels, and
our sense of well-being. Most of us feel reinvigorated by spending even a short amount of time outside,
breathing fresh air, feeling sunlight on our skin, or smelling the salty sea air. The benefits of spending
time in nature are the basis of forest bathing, the practice of taking in the forest atmosphere through
one’s senses. During the month of August, Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) invites visitors to enjoy a
self-guided forest bathing walk at Heandricks Head Hiking Trail.
Hidden just a few steps away from the crowds of beachgoers at Hendricks Head Beach on Southport
Island is Hendricks Head Hiking Trail, a quiet forest lush with mosses and lichens. This preserve is the
perfect place to find solitude and soak up the health boosting effects of the outdoors. Guests to this
preserve will encounter a series of written invitations spaced along the trail which offer gentle
opportunities to build sensory awareness while exploring natural surroundings.
Forest bathing is a research-based practice that supports healing and wellness through immersion in
natural environments. Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits from this practice,
especially for the cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as in stabilizing and improving mood and
cognition. Forest bathing walks are designed to cultivate nature connections and often offer
transformational impacts for participants. Forest bathing is an open-ended practice with a defined
sequence of events that provide structure to the experience, while still embracing opportunities for
creativity and serendipity that are offered by the forest and individual inspiration.
During this time of social distancing, forest bathing offers great strategies to improve both mental and
physical wellness. Designed by certified forest therapy guide and BRLT Environmental Educator, Tracey
Hall, the leisurely walk at Hendricks Head Trail covers less than a mile of moderate terrain, and is
estimated to take 1 hour to complete. Parking is available a short distance down the road at the Town of
Southport’s Hendricks Head Beach and the self-guided walk is available seven days per week from
sunrise to sunset.
