“The forest is the therapist. The guide opens the doors.” – M. Amos Clifford

Led by Sharon Lohse, nature therapy walks are a unique, immersive, slow-paced experience with proven health benefits. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing and led by a certified nature and forest therapy guide, you will explore the land of the Preserve and awaken your senses to its sounds, beings, textures and beauty. This experience is different than a hike or naturalist walk. You will be invited to move slowly, wander, pause, observe and reflect. The emphasis is on unplugging, calming the mind and engaging with the natural world. Many studies have shown that this type of experience in nature reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and blood pressure, increases energy, enhances sleep, increases natural killer disease-fighting cells and provides an overall sense of well-being.

Sharon Lohse is a psychiatric nurse with certificates in horticultural therapy, mindfulness and forest therapy. Her love of plants, trees, flowers and people is the root of her business, Mindful in Nature. She has been a certified guide since January 2019 and very much enjoys bringing people and plants together. She has transformed her yard into a horticultural masterpiece, winning the Garden of Distinction Award in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s annual garden contest. In the process, she discovered how happy people felt after walking her garden trail, which led Lohse to Delaware Valley University.

Patty Kleiner is a certified forest therapy guide and a Preserve naturalist. She has had a lifelong affinity for the outdoors and enjoys sharing the healing power of nature with others. An avid photographer of the natural world, her work has been selected for inclusion in the Phillips Mill photography exhibition.

Admission: $35 ($28 with member discount)

Purchased in 2014, David Hughes’ woodland area, once overbrowsed by deer and overrun by invasive plants, is now a thriving forest-floor community of native plants. The monoculture of lawns has been replaced with warm-season grass meadows, native wildflowers and forest communities. Vernal pools and rain gardens have been created to add a thriving wetland community. Join the Preserve for a private tour of this inspirational property and listen to Hughes give inspired information on healing our degraded landscape, reflecting on rich communities of native plants and the creatures that call it home. As the growing season draws to a close, we will focus on preparing native gardens for winter, preserving habitat for wildlife and native plants throughout the year and ecologically sensitive garden maintenance and invasive plant removal techniques.

David Hughes is a registered landscape architect and owner of Weatherwood Design LLC that specializes in native plant-based garden design, ecology and indigenous habitat conservation. He has worked in the green industry for 35 years designing landscapes that focus on bringing back ecological functions to the site and its surrounding community. Hughes’ designs improve the pathways in which ecological services are revived or restored to a site.

Find out more on his website.

Program Fee: $45 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

“The forest is the therapist. The guide opens the doors.” – M. Amos Clifford

Led by Sharon Lohse, nature therapy walks are a unique, immersive, slow-paced experience with proven health benefits. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing and led by a certified nature and forest therapy guide, you will explore the land of the Preserve and awaken your senses to its sounds, beings, textures and beauty. This experience is different than a hike or naturalist walk. You will be invited to move slowly, wander, pause, observe and reflect. The emphasis is on unplugging, calming the mind and engaging with the natural world. Many studies have shown that this type of experience in nature reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and blood pressure, increases energy, enhances sleep, increases natural killer disease-fighting cells and provides an overall sense of well-being.

Sharon Lohse is a psychiatric nurse with certificates in horticultural therapy, mindfulness and forest therapy. Her love of plants, trees, flowers and people is the root of her business, Mindful in Nature. She has been a certified guide since January 2019 and very much enjoys bringing people and plants together. She has transformed her yard into a horticultural masterpiece, winning the Garden of Distinction Award in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s annual garden contest. In the process, she discovered how happy people felt after walking her garden trail, which led Lohse to Delaware Valley University.

Patty Kleiner is a certified forest therapy guide and a Preserve naturalist. She has had a lifelong affinity for the outdoors and enjoys sharing the healing power of nature with others. An avid photographer of the natural world, her work has been selected for inclusion in the Phillips Mill photography exhibition.

Admission: $35 ($28 with member discount)

“The forest is the therapist. The guide opens the doors.” – M. Amos Clifford

Led by Sharon Lohse, nature therapy walks are a unique, immersive, slow-paced experience with proven health benefits. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing and led by a certified nature and forest therapy guide, you will explore the land of the Preserve and awaken your senses to its sounds, beings, textures and beauty. This experience is different than a hike or naturalist walk. You will be invited to move slowly, wander, pause, observe and reflect. The emphasis is on unplugging, calming the mind and engaging with the natural world. Many studies have shown that this type of experience in nature reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and blood pressure, increases energy, enhances sleep, increases natural killer disease-fighting cells and provides an overall sense of well-being.

Sharon Lohse is a psychiatric nurse with certificates in horticultural therapy, mindfulness and forest therapy. Her love of plants, trees, flowers and people is the root of her business, Mindful in Nature. She has been a certified guide since January 2019 and very much enjoys bringing people and plants together. She has transformed her yard into a horticultural masterpiece, winning the Garden of Distinction Award in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s annual garden contest. In the process, she discovered how happy people felt after walking her garden trail, which led Lohse to Delaware Valley University.

Patty Kleiner is a certified forest therapy guide and a Preserve naturalist. She has had a lifelong affinity for the outdoors and enjoys sharing the healing power of nature with others. An avid photographer of the natural world, her work has been selected for inclusion in the Phillips Mill photography exhibition.

Admission: $35 ($28 with member discount)

Purchased in 2014, David Hughes’ woodland area, once overbrowsed by deer and overrun by invasive plants, is now a thriving forest-floor community of native plants. The monoculture of lawns has been replaced with warm-season grass meadows, native wildflowers and forest communities. Vernal pools and rain gardens have been created to add a thriving wetland community. Join the Preserve for a private tour of this inspirational property and listen to Hughes give inspired information on healing our degraded landscape, reflecting on rich communities of native plants and the creatures that call it home. As the growing season draws to a close, we will focus on preparing native gardens for winter, preserving habitat for wildlife and native plants throughout the year and ecologically sensitive garden maintenance and invasive plant removal techniques.

David Hughes is a registered landscape architect and owner of Weatherwood Design LLC which specializes in native plant-based garden design, ecology and indigenous habitat conservation. He has worked in the green industry for 35 years, designing landscapes that focus on bringing back ecological functions to the site and its surrounding community. Hughes’ designs improve the pathways in which ecological services are revived or restored to a site.

Find out more on his website.

Program Fee: $45 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

“The forest is the therapist. The guide opens the doors.” – M. Amos Clifford

Led by Sharon Lohse, nature therapy walks are a unique, immersive, slow-paced experience with proven health benefits. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing and led by a certified nature and forest therapy guide, you will explore the land of the Preserve and awaken your senses to its sounds, beings, textures and beauty. This experience is different than a hike or naturalist walk. You will be invited to move slowly, wander, pause, observe and reflect. The emphasis is on unplugging, calming the mind and engaging with the natural world. Many studies have shown that this type of experience in nature reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and blood pressure, increases energy, enhances sleep, increases natural killer disease-fighting cells and provides an overall sense of well-being.

Sharon Lohse is a psychiatric nurse with certificates in horticultural therapy, mindfulness and forest therapy. Her love of plants, trees, flowers and people is the root of her business, Mindful in Nature. She has been a certified guide since January 2019 and very much enjoys bringing people and plants together. She has transformed her yard into a horticultural masterpiece, winning the Garden of Distinction Award in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s annual garden contest. In the process, she discovered how happy people felt after walking her garden trail, which led Lohse to Delaware Valley University.

Patty Kleiner is a certified forest therapy guide and a Preserve naturalist. She has had a lifelong affinity for the outdoors and enjoys sharing the healing power of nature with others. An avid photographer of the natural world, her work has been selected for inclusion in the Phillips Mill photography exhibition.

Admission: $35 ($28 with member discount)

Symposium Overview

Look forward to the 25th year of this not-to-be-missed symposium geared towards landscape architects, designers, contractors, land planners, municipal officials and homeowners. Learn how to create ecologically sound and economically viable landscapes through the use of native plants and sustainable practices. Continuing education credits will be available!

Program Cost —  $35 for Students with a Valid ID

Online registration for this program closes Wednesday, August 27, at 8:30 am. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org.

2025 Symposium Speakers

• David Hughes, RLA, Weatherwood Design:
  David Hughes is a Registered Landscape Architect and owner of Weatherwood Design LLC, a business specializing in native plant-based garden design and ecological/natural habitat conservation. For 35 years he’s designed and implemented practices that combine human needs with nature’s needs, helping both achieve a functioning and balanced state.
• Michael McGraw, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Princeton Hydro:
  Michael McGraw is a Senior Wildlife Biologist and Ecologist. Since 2002, Michael has performed an extensive variety of reptile, amphibian, and avifaunal surveys in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. with a strong emphasis on endangered, threatened, and species of concern. He is currently managing and functioning as a lead biologist on a variety of projects, including wildlife surveys, ecological assessments, threatened and endangered species surveys, population biology research, wetland mitigation, sensitive habitat restoration, FAA-mandated wildlife hazard management plans for airports, land management and site master planning, and regenerative agriculture.
• Will Ryan, Ph.D., Director of Horticulture and Land Stewardship, Tyler Arboretum
  Will Ryan is a plant ecologist with over 25 years of experience in ecosystem research and management in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology (under the co-advisement of Doug Tallamy and Roger Latham) and an M.S. in Physical Geography with a focus on ecohydrology. His current role as Director of Horticulture and Land Stewardship at Tyler Arboretum, in Media, PA, involves the care of 100 acres of historic gardens and collections and 550 acres of biodiverse natural areas. In the preceding decade, he served as Senior Ecosystem Scientist at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects in New York and Restoration Ecologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. His work has focused on landscapes ranging from globally rare grasslands of a few acres to complex landscapes of several thousand acres in the Blue Ridge of VA and Hudson Valley of NY. Among his facets of expertise are conducting baseline ecological conditions documentation, drafting land stewardship plans, and providing design and implementation oversight of ecological restoration projects. In his spare time, he enjoys being a father, biking, hiking, and botanical photography.
• Donald Pell, Horticulturist – Garden Designer, Donald Pell Gardens
  For over 30 years, Donald Pell has been reshaping landscapes throughout the Mid-Atlantic US by juxtaposing what we know with the unexpected, creating an endless wonder of visual possibility. An award-winning designer, horticulturist and lecturer, Don has gained prominence by inspiring clients to abandon the ordinary for adventurous, immersive landscapes. Don has taught at Longwood Gardens, and presented at the Delaware Botanical Gardens, to horticultural groups and at conservancy trusts throughout the US. His landscapes have won prestigious awards from the Perennial Plant Association, as well as Gold and Silver Awards for Design from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).
• Nancy Lawson, Founder, The Humane Gardener
  Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, public speaker, and founder of The Humane Gardener, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and volunteer master naturalist, Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, after discovering a little-known butterfly behavior in her own garden. Her habitat and books have been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, Ecological Entomology, American Gardener and on numerous radio shows and podcasts. Her most recent book, Wildscape, received an honorable mention in the American Horticultural Society’s national book awards and was a finalist for the 2024 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Learn more about this event

For more information, contact our Education Manager, Santino Lauricella, at education@bhwp.org or 215.862.2924 ext. 102.

“The forest is the therapist. The guide opens the doors.” – M. Amos Clifford

Led by Sharon Lohse, nature therapy walks are a unique, immersive, slow-paced experience with proven health benefits. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing and led by a certified nature and forest therapy guide, you will explore the land of the Preserve and awaken your senses to its sounds, beings, textures and beauty. This experience is different than a hike or naturalist walk. You will be invited to move slowly, wander, pause, observe and reflect. The emphasis is on unplugging, calming the mind and engaging with the natural world. Many studies have shown that this type of experience in nature reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and blood pressure, increases energy, enhances sleep, increases natural killer disease-fighting cells and provides an overall sense of well-being.

Sharon Lohse is a psychiatric nurse with certificates in horticultural therapy, mindfulness and forest therapy. Her love of plants, trees, flowers and people is the root of her business, Mindful in Nature. She has been a certified guide since January 2019 and very much enjoys bringing people and plants together. She has transformed her yard into a horticultural masterpiece, winning the Garden of Distinction Award in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s annual garden contest. In the process, she discovered how happy people felt after walking her garden trail, which led Lohse to Delaware Valley University.

Patty Kleiner is a certified forest therapy guide and a Preserve naturalist. She has had a lifelong affinity for the outdoors and enjoys sharing the healing power of nature with others. An avid photographer of the natural world, her work has been selected for inclusion in the Phillips Mill photography exhibition.

Admission: $35 ($28 with member discount)

Symposium Overview

Look forward to the 25th year of this not-to-be-missed symposium geared towards landscape architects, designers, contractors, land planners, municipal officials and homeowners. Learn how to create ecologically sound and economically viable landscapes through the use of native plants and sustainable practices. Continuing education credits will be available!

Program Cost — $165 (in honor of our 25th Anniversary); $35 for Students with a Valid ID

Online registration for this program closes Wednesday, August 27, at 8:30 am. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org.

2025 Symposium Speakers

• David Hughes, RLA, Weatherwood Design:
  David Hughes is a Registered Landscape Architect and owner of Weatherwood Design LLC, a business specializing in native plant-based garden design and ecological/natural habitat conservation. For 35 years he’s designed and implemented practices that combine human needs with nature’s needs, helping both achieve a functioning and balanced state.
• Michael McGraw, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Princeton Hydro:
  Michael McGraw is a Senior Wildlife Biologist and Ecologist. Since 2002, Michael has performed an extensive variety of reptile, amphibian, and avifaunal surveys in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. with a strong emphasis on endangered, threatened, and species of concern. He is currently managing and functioning as a lead biologist on a variety of projects, including wildlife surveys, ecological assessments, threatened and endangered species surveys, population biology research, wetland mitigation, sensitive habitat restoration, FAA-mandated wildlife hazard management plans for airports, land management and site master planning, and regenerative agriculture.
• Will Ryan, Ph.D., Director of Horticulture and Land Stewardship, Tyler Arboretum
  Will Ryan is a plant ecologist with over 25 years of experience in ecosystem research and management in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology (under the co-advisement of Doug Tallamy and Roger Latham) and an M.S. in Physical Geography with a focus on ecohydrology. His current role as Director of Horticulture and Land Stewardship at Tyler Arboretum, in Media, PA, involves the care of 100 acres of historic gardens and collections and 550 acres of biodiverse natural areas. In the preceding decade, he served as Senior Ecosystem Scientist at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects in New York and Restoration Ecologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. His work has focused on landscapes ranging from globally rare grasslands of a few acres to complex landscapes of several thousand acres in the Blue Ridge of VA and Hudson Valley of NY. Among his facets of expertise are conducting baseline ecological conditions documentation, drafting land stewardship plans, and providing design and implementation oversight of ecological restoration projects. In his spare time, he enjoys being a father, biking, hiking, and botanical photography.
• Donald Pell, Horticulturist – Garden Designer, Donald Pell Gardens
  For over 30 years, Donald Pell has been reshaping landscapes throughout the Mid-Atlantic US by juxtaposing what we know with the unexpected, creating an endless wonder of visual possibility. An award-winning designer, horticulturist and lecturer, Don has gained prominence by inspiring clients to abandon the ordinary for adventurous, immersive landscapes. Don has taught at Longwood Gardens, and presented at the Delaware Botanical Gardens, to horticultural groups and at conservancy trusts throughout the US. His landscapes have won prestigious awards from the Perennial Plant Association, as well as Gold and Silver Awards for Design from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).
• Nancy Lawson, Founder, The Humane Gardener
  Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, public speaker, and founder of The Humane Gardener, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and volunteer master naturalist, Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, after discovering a little-known butterfly behavior in her own garden. Her habitat and books have been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, Ecological Entomology, American Gardener and on numerous radio shows and podcasts. Her most recent book, Wildscape, received an honorable mention in the American Horticultural Society’s national book awards and was a finalist for the 2024 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Learn more about this event

For more information, contact our Education Manager, Santino Lauricella, at education@bhwp.org or 215.862.2924 ext. 102.

As the leaves turn and the air cools, we invite you to slow down and come home to your body and breath beneath the forest canopy. Join us for a gentle and intuitively led flow. Expect a spacious, natural rhythm in sync with the forest.

*Update* Due to the weather, this event has been moved to the Auditorium in the Preserves Visitor Center.

Please plan to arrive by 5:40 PM to settle into your nest.

Timeline:

5:40 PM — Arrival & Nesting
Arrive early to claim your space, settle into your surroundings, and begin to land in your body and breath.

6:00–6:30 PM — Somatic Self-Healing & Mindfulness
We begin with grounding somatic practices—breathwork, mindful movement, and sensory awareness—to awaken presence and activate the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system. This prepares the body and mind to receive the deeper layers of the sound experience with openness and Self-energy.

6:30–7:15 PM — Forest Sound Bathing Journey
Resting in the mossy forest, we invite you into a full-body listening experience. Let yourself be immersed in the ambient sounds of nature—rustling leaves, birds, owls—and live sound healing tools like crystal singing bowls, chimes, and percussion. This is a time for deep rest, sensory exploration, and gentle inner unfolding.

7:15–7:30 PM — Closing & Sharing
We gently return from the sound journey with optional sharing, reflection, and closing practices. A moment to integrate, be witnessed, or simply rest in silence as you transition back.

What to Expect:

• Mindful movement and somatic self-healing practices to regulate and ground
• A deeply immersive sound bath in communion with nature’s own music
• A soft, supportive container for inner awareness, stillness, and connection

Benefits:

• Develop deeper self-awareness and embodied presence
• Cultivate tools for emotional regulation and stress relief
• Support self-healing and nervous system balance
• Reconnect with True identity, Self-energy, and inner wisdom
• Experience connection and community in a sacred outdoor space
• Honor the earth, the season, and your right to rest

What to Bring:

• Yoga mat or blanket, warm layers, water, and anything else to support your comfort (eye covering, pillow, tea, journal, etc.).

All are welcome. Come as you are. Leave more whole.

Melissa is a licensed holistic psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and sound healing practitioner dedicated to creating safe and compassionate spaces for individual and collective healing. With a foundation in trauma-sensitive yoga, IFS parts work, EMDR, and somatic self-healing, her work weaves Eastern practices with Western therapeutic modalities. Her offerings—including forest sound baths, integrative trauma work, and embodied mindfulness—invite participants into deep presence, nervous system regulation, and connection with the natural world. Melissa began her private practice, Inner Harmony Therapeutics, LLC, a year and a half ago and is passionate about supporting others in cultivating authenticity, self-awareness, and embodied healing.

Credentials and Clinical Trainings: Licensed Professional Counselor, (PA Certification Board), Bachelors of Science in Rehabilitation/human services (Penn State University), Masters of Arts in Substance Use and Co-occurring disorders specializing in trauma (Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDRIA Certification), Certified Advanced Drug and Alcohol Counselor, CAADC (PA Certification Board), Internal Family Systems (IFS Institute) and Advanced Trauma Sensitive Yoga  Instructor RYT-500 (Yoga Alliance, US). 

Admission: $40 ($32 with member discount)