Beginning September 14th

Group Calls on Tuesday Evenings 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT Online

A year of support via live Zoom sessions, online course materials, & more $800

DESCRIPTION

Planning and creating your guiding practice (Level-1)

A 15-week nature-based exploration and comprehensive online course with instructor-led live webinar sessions and structured peer-to-peer working groups. This course is uniquely designed for trained guides who are interested in building, creating and tending their practice.

What is included in this course:

1) Ongoing nature-based visioning support

2) Eight live zoom sessions with instructors, designed to serve the specific interests of those who sign up. Topics and themes covered will include:

  • Marketing & Promotion (websites, photography, newsletters)

  • Exploring different business models and your niche

  • Permitting, waivers and insurance

  • Networking with land managers and organizations

3) Ongoing self-directed small working groups with 4-6 peers (Optional and will be set up by the facilitators based on participant's interest, and level of availability. An agenda will be provided for working groups to follow or adapt as best suits.)

4) Access to a comprehensive online course that includes downloadable/printable PDFs, videos, readings, business resources for guides, forest therapy Invitations, self-directed nature connection, and guided explorations to support your own visioning.

5) Access to a privately hosted community forum on the same platform as the course to share photos, stories and resources.


Schedule:

15 weeks 
Live session every 2-weeks on Tuesday Evenings
Optional peer-to-peer working groups meet in the weeks between live sessions

Time: 6:30PM-8:30PM Eastern Daylight Time

Starts: Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Ends: Tuesday, December 14, 2021

  1. September 14  Orientation Session

  2. September 28  Marketing - Exploring your niche and vision

  3. October 12 Networking - Land managers, organizations, and other guides

  4. October 26  Being realistic about your time and what you want - The journey of growing your practice

  5. November 9 Promotion - Websites, Social Media and Newsletters

  6. November 16 Money and You - Edges, How to charge, track and manage your practice’s finances

  7. November 30 Tending your guiding practice and yourself

  8. December 14 Final Closing session

Who is this class for:

➡︎Trained Forest Therapy Guides, Trained Forest Bathing Guides, Trained Mindful Outdoor Guides, Wilderness Guides, Backcountry and Registered Guides, and other types of Guides. If you have been trained in a similar modality and are interested in finding out if you are eligible for this course, please contact us at [email protected]

➡︎You want your guiding practice and/or business to be in line with your authentic way of being in the world

➡︎You want to zero in on a niche that is most meaningful to you and how you will offer forest therapy or you have a clear vision and mission of what you want but could use some support professionalizing your practice and taking the next steps

➡︎You want an active guiding practice and are ready and willing to develop your practice and/or business

➡︎You don't necessarily want a business but you do want to guide walks more regularly

➡︎You want to connect with other professional guides in the field and are interested in being part of a structured peer-to-peer working group to work through challenges and share ideas


Testimonials

A wonderful business class for guides!

Darlene Rooney-Keller, ANFT Trainer and Certified Forest Therapy Guide

Tam and Nadine have created a wonderful business class for guides! This class has inspired, motivated and supported me on my journey of continuing to create my guiding practice. The time spent with this class and all the amazing tools and materials has been amazing! I highly recommend it.

Insight and encouragement

Vickie Goushaw, ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide

I loved the videos in each of the sections offering insight and encouragement. They are just the right length and I feel like you both are in the online course with me. Popping up with these important perspectives or to offer encouragement just when I need it. Thank you!

More ease, joy, and flow in letting the process unfold organically

Lara Beth Jones

Starting a business, especially in a “new” industry like forest therapy, can be scary and daunting, and this class eased so much of that pressure. It supported me to make business development a fun and authentic expression of myself and my values, both personally & professionally.

Proven extremely valuable

Ted Kaiser, ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide

"Soon after completing my ANFT certification as a forest therapy guide, I enrolled in, Building your Guiding Practice. I've only just begun the program, but even the first two of the 12 modules of the course have proven extremely valuable. Although my wife and I both have extensive career experience as senior non-profit organization managers, we have never owned and operated a private business before. Completion of just the first 9 of 42 total lessons in the course, including 4 worksheets and other assignments has made a huge contribution to our business development. The goal planning worksheets alone have saved us days of wasted effort and conflict by making it fast and easy to clarify and concisely define our goals. We can't wait to gather all of the learning in this excellent program and put it to practical use as we build success in our new guiding business!"

FAQ

  • How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

    Email us at [email protected]

  • How many people will be in the course?

    A minimum of 8 and a maximum of 20.

  • I'm still in training. Can I sign up or do I have to wait until I fully complete my training?

    You must be at least 4 months into your guide training at the start of this course.

  • What if I can't attend all the live zoom sessions?

    All live Zoom sessions will be recorded.

  • Can I sign up for just one of the Zoom sessions or part of the series?

    If you feel called to take this course but can not come to every live Zoom session, you are fully welcome to register for the series and just come to what you can. All live Zoom sessions will be recorded. In an effort to create a container, there are no single tickets available.

  • What if I don’t want to be part of a peer-to-peer working group?

    That is totally fine. Participating in the peer-to-peer working is completely optional.

  • How much time is required to participate in the course?

    6-8 hours per month Live Sessions are two hours long and happen twice a month. (There are a total of eight 2-hour live session calls.) (Optional)Peer to Peer Working Groups will meet 1-2 times per month for 2-hours depending on you and your groups availability and preference. Online course work: This is a self-directed learning course. Spend the time you determine is appropriate for you.

  • What if I have never used Zoom?

    Zoom is a free and user-friendly app. For each of our live Zoom sessions, we will send out a Zoom invitation link and password in advance. To join our scheduled "meetings" all you will have to do is click on the link and it will automatically bring you to the Zoom "meeting" where you will be prompted to enter the password and from there, you will automatically be joined into the group. Leading up to our first session, we recommend that you download Zoom on to your phone and computer and you can do this here: https://zoom.us/.

  • What do I need to participate?

    An internet connection and a device with the ability to use Zoom (computer, tablet, phone, etc.) Your preferred writing or notetaking materials (pen, paper, tablet, notebook, colored pencils, etc.) A willingness to explore and experiment. An open heart and a commitment of your time.

Instructor(s)

Mentor, Trainer

Nadine Mazzola

Nadine Mazzola (she/her) has been a Certified Forest Therapy Guide since 2015 based in Acton, MA. She founded her guiding business, New England Nature and Forest Therapy, in 2016. Nadine guides regularly and has formed partnerships with multiple organizations, She also does speaking engagements on forest therapy and occasional consulting with a variety of organizations. Nadine has also been a trainer/mentor with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and has a business and marketing background spanning twenty-five years. In 2019, Nadine added award-winning author to her list of accomplishments. She wrote the book “Forest Bathing with Your Dog”, which won four awards. The book combines the practice of forest therapy with our practice of walking our dogs and elevates the depth and meaning of both. She has been featured on PBS Windows to the Wild twice, ABC’s Chronicle and in the Boston Globe and Boston Magazine. In addition to Nadine’s business and marketing background, she was also formerly a world professional pocket billiards player competing on the Women's Professional Billiard Tour. Nadine has been guiding forest therapy walks since 2015. Also, an artist, she facilitates expressive arts classes often incorporating elements of forest therapy throughout.

Mentor, Trainer

Tam Willey

Tam Willey (they/them) is a certified forest therapy guide, trainer and mentor with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and founder of Toadstool Walks, a guiding practice based in Boston, Massachusetts. Tam trained with ANFT in 2017 as part of cohort 15 and began mentoring and training new guides shortly after. Tam is co-founder of Acorn Programs, a business and practice development program for guides seeking support in bridging the gap from training to building a guiding practice. Tam has been self-employed since 2005 and brings over 15 years of experience with marketing, promotion, website management, administrative organization, content creation, bookkeeping, tax-filing, and overall personal professionalism. Tam’s guiding practice is informed by their background as a local handy person, children’s woodworking instructor, custodian, skateboarder, musician, artist, mentor, and their queer and gender expansive lived experience, serving and uplifting LGBTQ Folks through BAGLY, The Theater Offensive’s True Colors, Black and Pink, and The Venture Out Project. Tam has guided forest therapy in collaboration with The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Mass Audubon, Peabody Essex Museum, Speak For The Trees, Boston Harbor Now and more.

We'd love to have you join us!

Pricing options

Course curriculum