Why Edmonton The tree-mendous benefits of forest bathing in Edmonton

Allyn Esau stands on a dirt trail in a ravine next to Edmonton’s Whitemud Freeway. A creek gently trickles to the west, muffling the whoosh of the freeway traffic. A forest of conifers and poplars sways to the east. It’s a June afternoon. 

“It’s a bright, beautiful day,” she says. “There’s a lot of different colours. Try to see what stands out for you.” 

A group of women and men look around, slowly taking in the different hues in Whitemud Creek Ravine South—from the browns and greys of tree bark to the greens of grass, leaves and spruce needles.

Esau is part of the City of Edmonton’s Community Forestry team, which hosts free forest bathing sessions in several locations, including Whitemud Park, Capilano Park, Twin Brooks District & Nature Park and Northeast River Valley Park.

The team’s goal is to encourage more people to connect with the city’s urban forest. 

Edmonton is ideal for Shinrin-yoku. There’s an estimated 12.8 million trees in the city or about 10 for each Edmontonian.

Almost half of those trees live in the river valley—the largest urban parkland in North America—which spans 48 kilometres in length and includes dozens of parks, ravines, sanctuaries and 160 kilometres of interconnected trails. 

As Esau and her group of forest bathers slowly traverse Whitemud Park Ravine South,  she offers a series of “invitations” to help participants connect to nature during their two-hour session. 

First, she invites the group on a sensory walk. She asks everyone to focus on the colours of the forest. Sounds. Smells. Tastes. Feels.  

Later on, she invites forest bathers to shift their perspective of the forest—by sitting on a log (or even laying on the ground) and looking up at the sky. (Other invitations can include mindful breathing activities and a guided meditation.) 

“An invitation is just an opportunity to participate,” says Esau. “You can do whatever your personal interpretation of it is.”