Forest Bathing a source of comfort for Kingstonians amid climate anxiety

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

This past summer’s heat and drought in Kingston are a preview of what’s to come, with projections showing the number of days over 30°C expected to rise from an average of 6 each year to 22 by 2050. For many, it has been an unsettling reminder of the climate crisis.

Claire Beach, a local Nature Therapy Guide and founder of The Wild Edge, says the anxiety is showing up in her clients.

“There’s a greater sense of helplessness or hopelessness that people are experiencing …” She explained. “So what is the new balance? How can we connect?”

Through a practice called Forest Bathing, Beach and participants like Jennifer Dawson and Jackie Wright are finding ways to meet that anxiety with resilience. For them, time spent in nature offers perspective, connection, and what Beach calls “active hope.”

Listen to the full story here.