10-Year Inspiration Seminar in August
10-Year Forest Mind
Inspiration Seminar
30-31 August
General info and lectures on the 31st August
Time of the Seminar: 30.8.-31.8.2024
Place: Hotel Sveitsi, Härkävehmaankatu 4, 05900 Hyvinkää, Finland https://www.hotelsveitsi.fi/en/
More information: erja@mixingnuts.fi or forestmindseminar@gmail.com
As the main event of the 10th anniversary of the Metsämieli® - i.e. Forest Mind method, we will organize a seminar in Hyvinkään Sveitsi in the southern Finland. The seminar is aimed at the network of Forest Mind experts and all professionals interested in utilising nature-based methods from the fields of health and social services, education, and nature.
In the mornings of the both seminar days, we will hear interesting lectures on nature and mental skills, as well as research perspectives and experiences of nature-based methods in different customer groups and countries. In the afternoons, our Forest Mind experts lead workshops with different themes in the nearby nature.
Inspiration seminar is held from the 30th to 31st of August. On the 30th the day and workshops are conducted in Finnish. The 31st of August will be held in English.
Background:
The Forest Mind® method combines the health effects of nature with exercises that strengthen mental skills. It is based on research-based information on mental and physical wellbeing and the wellbeing effects produced by nature. Forest Mind has become a well-known and trusted welfare method both in Finland and internationally. We have already trained more than 800 professionals from different fields to become Forest Mind experts in Finland, and there are almost 100 experts in Europe outside Finland. Forest Mind is widely used, for example, in early childhood education and educational institutions, social and health care services, and tourism and program services. Forest Mind peer tutors also work in organisations.
The seminar can be attended as follows. We have the following options for participating:
Package 1
From 30th to 31st Aug 2024, 2 seminar days on the spot. This includes the lectures and workshops for both days, lunch and snacks + materials of the lectures in electronic format
Price: 590 € incl. vat. Note: 30th of August is conducted in Finnish.
Package 2
Friday the 30th of August, one seminar day on the spot (in Finnish)
This includes the lectures, workshops, lunch, snacks and materials of the lectures in electronic format
Price: 350 € incl vat
Package 3 Saturday 31st of August, one seminar day on the spot (in English)
This includes the lectures, workshops, lunch, snacks and materials of the lectures in electronic format
Price: 350 € incl. vat
Package 4 The lectures from 30th t 31st August in the morning, via zoom (or other connection, Finnish on the 30th and English on the 31st).
This includes the participation for all the lectures remotely, and the materials in electronic format.
Price: 250 € incl. vat
Binding registrations by 30.5.2024: https://mixingnuts.kartra.com/page/FM10yearssignin
Cancellations free of charge no later than 15.6.2024, after which we will charge 30% of the participation fee. The seminar place can be transferred to another person until 15.8.2024.
If you need accommodation, book it well in advance directly from the hotel https://www.hotelsveitsi.fi/en/ . Inform the hotel about the groupcode: 2988272. If the hotel is full, please contact other accommodation in the Hyvinkää region directly.
On seminar days, snacks and lunches are served from a buffet table with a variety of options. If you have any special dietary questions or wishes, please contact the hotel directly: sales@primehotels.fi.
NOTE! There is a possibility for a common dinner on the evening of the 30th of August at 19.30 pm. Menus can be seen from here: https://www.karhunpesasveitsi.fi/in-english. This is at own cost and paid on the spot, you can book your spot no later than 15.8. 2024 at: ForestFindSeminar@gmail.com
More Information in English: erja@mixingnuts.fi or ForestMindSeminar@gmail.com
LECTURES on the 31st of August
8.30 am Registration opens
9.30 am Opening of the day and security info
Aana Vainio, Forest Mind Trainer
9.35 am The story of the Forest Mind
Sirpa Arvonen, M.Sc. (Econ.), developer of the Forest Mind method
09.45 am Forest Mind- method in Europe
Erja Järvelä, Forest Mind International Lead and
Martina Holcova, Forest Mind- trainer in Czech
10.00 am Nature based activities development in China
A representative of the Chinese delegation, tbd
10.30 am Nature in Supporting Mental Health
Jane-Vera Paakkolanvaara, PsM, trainer
10.55 am A Forest Mind exercise indoors
Aana Vainio, Forest Mind trainer
11.05 am Running community groups with a nature-based method
Stephen McCabe, Tariki Trust, Health All Round,
Green Temple Therapy
11.35 am. Nature-based integration and why it works
Lena Enlund, social scientist, PhD student, R&D Expert
at Centria University of Applied Sciences
12.00 Information about the workshops in the afternoon
Erja Järvelä, Forest Mind Trainer
12.10 pm onwards Lunch
01.00 pm Workshops (mostly outdoors) in English in small
groups
See all workshops in the column on the right.
Once you have registered to the seminar, you can register to the workhsops, 2 of your choice at
erja@mixingnuts.fi or ForestMindSeminar&gmail.com
04.00 pm Panel discussion, summarizing of the workshops
Erja Järvelä, Forest Mind International Lead
04.30 pm Closing words
Sirpa Arvonen, developer of the Forest Mind
method
04.45 pm. The End of Seminar
See the whole program also of the 30th August here in Finnish:
https://metsamieli.fi/Etusivu/Metsaemieli-inspiraatioseminaari-2024/
WORKSHOPS on the 31st of August
Choose from below 2 of your choice if you wish and reserve your spot at erja@mixingnuts.fi or ForestMindSeminar@gmail.com
1.00- 2.00 pm workshops (in parallel, choose one)
TP9. Running Nature Based Community Groups
Stephen McCabe, Tariki Trust, Health All Round, Green Temple Therapy
TP10. Resilience by Forest Mind, Erja Järvelä, Forest Mind International Lead and Trainer
TP11. Wellbeing from the nature +65 - activities
Virpi Jussila, The Association of Recreational Sports and Ourdoor Activities
TP12. Forest Mind- training inhouse, Aana Vainio, Forest Mind Trainer
2 pm
Coffee break at the hotel
2.30-3.30 pm workshops (in parallel, choose 1)
TP13. Forest Mind in Mental Health Work - based on experiences, Eva Romi, Forest Mind Trainer
TP14. Forest Mind- training inhouse, Aana Vainio, Forest Mind Trainer
TP15.
Forest Mind for Humankind, Jeanette Srabonian, Forest School Leader
TP16. Forest Mind workshop by Czech style, Martina Holcova, Forest Mind Trainer
More about the contents and about the leaders of the workshops:
TP9. Running Nature Based Community Groups
When people think of nature therapy experiences, they often imagine retreats out in the wilderness. However, many people live in towns and cities without the opportunity to take themselves away for such immersive experiences. Nature-connection community groups that are run in urban environments offer a different way. These groups tackle social isolation by connecting people with each other, as well as with everyday nature – even the weeds that grow in the pavement!
Stephen McCabe is an ecotherapy practitioner and writer. His work includes tutoring for the Ten Directions eco-therapy training programme and facilitating eco-therapy groups for a mental health charity in Scotland. He is a qualified person-centred counsellor and he has worked therapeutically with people for many years. He is currently writing his first novel, which is based on Scottish nature and folklore. You can find him at www.naturetherapyonline.net
Trainer: Stephen McCabe, Tariki Trust, Health All Round, Course Director at Tariki Trust, Green Temple Therapy
TP10. Resilience by Forest Mind
Many Forest Mind exercises support various sides of our resilience capability. Erja will guide you through a set of exercises, combined with a little bit of talking about resilience and give an example how one can improve own resilience in nature.
Trainer: Erja Järvelä, Forest Mind International Lead.
Erja is a Holistic Health Coach, Ecotherapy practioner and Forest Mind Trainer. She is currently studying also to become a Neuropsychiatric counsel end of 2024.
More Information about Erja: https://www.mixingnuts.fi/en-us/aboutme/
TP11. Wellbeing from the Nature +65 - Activities
There is a variety of ways to be outdoors throughout the life. Being outdoors is much more than just enhancing the physical activity. It connects people to each others and nature surround them. Nature gives a good space to support also social and mental wellbeing especially in that age group.
Virpi works as a project manager at Outdoor association of Finland. Our project is called Wellbeing from the outdoor activities (age group +65), funded by Ministry of Education and Culture.
Trainer: Virpi Jussila, Suomen Latu/Association of Ourdoor and Recreational Activities. Virpi is a biologist, environmental educator, outdoor activator and a certified Forest mind -guide. I have worked in a variety of projects to promote and train nature-based learning and activities.
TP12. Forest Mind- training inhouse
If your clients are not able to go outdoors, you are still able to use pictures, materials from nature
and their imagination to wake up senses and sensitivity indoors. The impacts for well-being are
quite equivalent for being outdoors in the nature. We will share experiences how to adapt and
make use of Forest Mind -exercises indoors.
Trainer: Aana Vainio, Forest Mind Trainer
TP13. Forest Mind in Mental Health Work - based on experience
Trainer: Eva Romi, Forest Mind Trainer
TP14. Forest Mind- training in-house
If your clients are not able to go outdoors, you are still able to use pictures, materials from nature
and their imagination to wake up senses and sensitivity indoor. The impacts for well-being are
quite equivalent for being outdoors in the nature. We will share experiences how to adapt and
make use of Forest Mind -exercises indoors.
Trainer: Aana Vainio, Forest Mind Trainer
TP15: Forest Mind for Humankind
Practicing skills for long term positive change.
I am an Archimedes Forest School Leader with a passion for delivering authentic Forest School programmes in the UK, inspired over the past 10 years while working with multiple brilliant young minds aged from 2-16 years old across the spectrum of educational backgrounds. These include children experiencing trauma of homelessness, to the most affluent, privileged primary school children as well as longer- term programmes for holistic development of mainstream and home schooled learners.
This workshop is presented through the combination of a Forest School session and Metsämieli methods where both promote the ethos of regular engagement with nature and a social connectedness to break down all barriers to learning and personal development. Through the established research, well recognised understanding of outdoor experiential learning and its significant benefits, participants explore together how can we ensure that our Metsämieli programmes reach everyone in our groups as we come across many differences, diversities and perceptions in our clients? Together, through knowledge, experiences and voices from within our profession, the question which deserves our further study, discourse and attention is how can we encourage, promote and share this emerging, innovative approach to bring about more positive change and increased awareness of Metsämieli to the wider world?
Trainer: Jeanette Srabonian, Forest School Leader
TP16. Forest Mind workshop by Czech- style
Trainer: Martina Holcova, Forest Mind Trainer. More Information: https://lesnimysl.cz/o-nas/mgr-martina-holcova/