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Newsletter #1
From project launch to first experiences in the forest
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Launched in 2025 and running until 2028, Forest4Youth addresses growing mental-health challenges among adolescents across North-West Europe. Around 17.5% of young people experience conditions such as depression, anxiety, or addiction, and the project responds through the therapeutic potential of forests. By combining nature-based care, scientific evaluation, and digital innovation (including virtual-reality immersion), Forest4Youth aims to develop accessible, sustainable approaches to well-being. Over four years, the partnership will identify and test pilot therapeutic forests, co-create a Forest-Based Care Protocol, and strengthen professional capacity to integrate forest environments into mental-health prevention and recovery pathways.
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Project Launch in Lille — Where It All Began
In March 2025, partners gathered for the first time. The kick-off aligned objectives, deliverables and the collaboration framework. The consortium presented complementary expertise across adolescent psychiatry, nature-based therapy, forestry management and innovation.
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Contact Session & Argonne Forest Visit (France)
Early coordination in France brought forestry professionals, healthcare experts and regional authorities together. Discussions focused on opportunities and challenges for integrating forest environments into mental-health prevention and care pathways.
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Study Visit — Waren (Müritz), Germany
Hosted by BioCon Valley® GmbH and Landesforst Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Waldservice und Energie GmbH, partners explored certified therapeutic forests and how local forest policy integrates well-being goals. This hands-on learning is a cornerstone for the forthcoming Forest-Based Care Protocol and regional pilots.
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Study Visit — Dublin, Ireland
Hosted by RCSI, exchanges focused on mental-health innovation, evaluation methods and the role of digital/VR tools in expanding access to nature-based care. These insights reinforce the training and clinical dimensions of F4Y.
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Co-Designing Innovation — Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)
The PPI process in Forest4Youth is designed to make sure that the voices of all key actors — professionals, families, adolescents, and experts — are included in shaping the Forest-Based Care Protocol.
Each group brings valuable perspectives that will help us build a structured, safe, and supportive framework for using forests as spaces that promote mental health and recovery.
We will consult health professionals, foresters, families, adolescents, and VR experts. Health professionals will help us understand how to integrate forest-based care into clinical practice and mental health treatment. Families and adolescents will share what activities and settings help them feel safe, confident, and supported in nature. Foresters will guide how to manage and design forest areas that balance ecological care with therapeutic use. VR experts will help us translate forest experiences into accessible virtual environments for those who cannot always be outdoors.
Their feedback will directly inform the design of the Forest-Based Care Protocol — ensuring that it reflects real needs, supports mental wellbeing, and remains practical across different contexts.
And what is a Forest-Based Care Protocol?
A Forest-Based Care Protocol is, in simple terms, a structured plan that uses the forest as part of mental health care. It outlines safe activities, guidelines, and supportive measures that help people benefit from being in nature — bringing the healing power of forests into mental healthcare in a safe and reliable way.
The PPI process in Forest4Youth is led by RCSI, with Kate Brassington guiding the work. You can learn more about her vision and experience in the Meet the Team section!
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Partners in Action — Across Local & National Events
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Media Spotlights
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Official press release — Forest4Youth overview, aims & timeline.
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Forest therapy for positive mental health states — Planet Health.
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Forest4Youth: a dual project of nature-based therapy in Argonne.
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Green care: healing with nature — En Marche.
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Learn more about who's moving Forest4Youth.
In this edition of the Interviews, find more about our Work Package Leaders and the dedicated PhD Scholars that are striving for new understandings and solutions!
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What’s Next
We’re continuing to grow Forest4Youth step by step — from co-design to field pilots and knowledge sharing across regions. Stay tuned for updates, stories, and resources as they unfold.
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Forest4Youth is an Interreg North-West Europe project, co-funded by the European Union for the period of 2025 to 2028.
Coordinated by CNP Saint-Martin (Belgium)
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