What happens when we slow down enough to notice what is happening beneath our feet? As part of Ohio Soil Health Week, Buds in Bloom invites you to Below the Surface, a 2½-hour forest therapy experience exploring the living world beneath us.
On our five-acre Forest Therapy Sanctuary in Central Ohio, we’ll slow down, settle in and explore the meadow and forest through our senses. Along the way, we’ll discover some of the many relationships that exist below the surface—between soil, roots, fungi, leaves, water, decomposition and the countless beings that depend upon healthy soil.
The experience will begin with a brief introduction to Buds in Bloom, forest therapy and Ohio Soil Health Week, followed by a 20-minute guided sensory grounding to help us arrive fully on the land. From there, participants will be invited into a series of gentle, guided invitations and conversations that encourage curiosity, observation and connection.
The invitations will be responsive to the season, the landscape and what we discover together. We may find ourselves noticing the life within the soil, following the journey of a fallen leaf, exploring the relationship between plants and their roots, observing fungi and decomposition, or considering how water moves through the land. There is no expectation to have prior knowledge about soil or forest therapy—only a willingness to slow down and notice.
Buds in Bloom is not a soil science organization. Our expertise is in helping people reconnect with the natural world. We believe that when people develop a relationship with the land—when they notice it, experience it and begin to understand the living systems that sustain us—they become more curious about caring for it. This experience is an invitation to see soil not simply as dirt beneath our feet, but as a living community essential to healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, water and our communities. It also celebrates the farmers, gardeners, landowners, conservationists and others who care for Ohio's soil.
We'll close with tea and an unhurried conversation about what we noticed, what surprised us and what we might carry with us beyond the sanctuary.
This experience is designed for adults and will involve gentle walking, periods of standing or sitting, sensory exploration and conversation. No prior experience with forest therapy or soil health is needed.
Special Ohio Soil Health Week pricing: $10 per participant. Space is limited to 15 participants. Learn more and register here.
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10:00–10:20 AM | Welcome & Introduction
Participants will gather beneath the mature trees at the top of the Buds in Bloom driveway, overlooking the property.
We will introduce Buds in Bloom and the five-acre Forest Therapy Sanctuary, briefly explain forest therapy and what participants can expect from the experience, and introduce Ohio Soil Health Week and the importance of healthy soil.
We will also explore the idea that developing a relationship with the natural world can inspire greater curiosity, appreciation and stewardship.
10:20–10:40 AM | Guided Sensory Grounding
A 20-minute guided sensory practice will invite participants to slow their pace, settle into the present moment and become more aware of their surroundings.
Rather than requiring participants to sit still or have prior meditation experience, this practice will use the senses to help participants arrive on the land and begin noticing what is happening around and beneath them.
10:40–11:25 AM | Forest Therapy Invitations & Conversation
Participants will move through the meadow and forest, engaging in approximately 45 minutes of guided invitations and facilitated group conversation centered on the living systems connected to soil.
Invitations will be responsive to the season, weather, landscape and observations that arise within the group and may explore themes including:
- soil and the plants that depend upon it
- roots and first-year pollinator growth
- fungi and other organisms living within soil
- decomposition and the transformation of organic matter
- leaves, fallen trees and other contributors to soil
- worms, insects, animals and the many beings connected to healthy soil
- water, runoff, erosion and the role healthy soil plays in the landscape
- the relationship between soil health, biodiversity and stewardship
Rather than following a predetermined lesson, the experience will allow the land itself to guide what participants notice and explore. This creates space for curiosity, observation and meaningful connection while remaining grounded in the importance of healthy soil.
11:25 AM–12:30 PM | Tea, Reflection & Conversation
Participants will gather for tea and an unhurried closing conversation.
We will reflect on what participants noticed, what surprised them and how their understanding of soil may have shifted.
The conversation will also return to the idea of stewardship: What happens when we become more aware of the living systems that sustain us? How might a deeper relationship with the land influence the way we care for it?
The event will close by inviting participants to continue noticing what is happening below the surface in the places they live, work and spend time. -
This is an outdoor event on a five-acre property with natural and uneven terrain. Gentle walking is required, including walking through meadow and woodland areas. Conditions may be muddy, wet or slippery depending on November weather. Participants will spend periods of time walking, standing and sitting. Seating will be available during portions of the experience, and participants may modify or opt out of individual invitations according to their comfort and ability. Participants should wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy outdoor footwear. The event will be limited to approximately 15 participants to support both the quality of the forest therapy experience and the safety and accessibility needs of the group. Participants with specific mobility or accessibility needs are encouraged to contact Buds in Bloom in advance so we can discuss the terrain and determine how the experience can best be adapted.
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Michelle Ward, Buds in Bloom: budsinbloomwellness@gmail.com | (614) 364-6424