“The Land Knows You, EvenWhen You are Lost.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

The Story of Friends of the Forest

In the early fall of 2021, during the quiet of COVID, I went on a forest bathing walk that popped up in my feed. I had always loved nature, but I was never a hiker, and traditional meditation — whether in yoga or guided practice — was always difficult; my mind never seemed to settle. On this gentle, reflective walk, I immediately felt at ease. The invitations to connect with the forest were quiet and deliberate, and not once did I think of my to-do list.

We arrived at a small river cutting through a thick forest in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and settled into our sit spots. As I sat at the water's edge, silently absorbing the rhythm of the flowing river, a bald eagle glided down so close to the water that I could see her sharp eyes outlined in gold. The moment was breathtaking — magical, sacred, and unmistakably a sign. I left that walk knowing I wanted to dive deeply into forest bathing and become a guide.

With the constraints of COVID, I enrolled in an outdoor leadership course at Kripalu, which had been adapted for online learning. Over the next three months, my cohort of fellow students became a source of inspiration and deep learning. We explored the principles of nature connection, mindfulness, and guided reflection, discovering ways to create spaces in the wild that invite stillness, curiosity, and presence. From there, I continued my studies with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT), deepening my understanding and practice of forest therapy.

It felt like coming home. Everything I had learned as a child — walking trails with my father, identifying trees, listening to birds, rescuing fallen robins from their nests, talking to trees, thanking the earth, saving dandelions from the mower — resurfaced. Those early moments of wonder and reverence had quietly shaped a deep love for nature and an understanding of its magic, creativity, and restorative power.

After receiving my certifications, I knew I wanted to focus specifically on walks for women. I wanted to create experiences rooted in the Wheel of the Year, a practice I had followed on my own spiritual path. From there, Friends of the Forest began to take shape.

As the work unfolded, incredible teachers and guides crossed my path, and together we expanded our offerings—always nature-based, always centered on women. Over the past four years, more than 3,000 women have attended one or more of our events in person. Our reach has grown nationally and internationally through online classes and virtual gatherings, allowing women everywhere to experience the calm, grounding magic of nature and community.

I am deeply humbled and grateful for the community that has blossomed around Friends of the Forest—a sisterhood rooted in presence, curiosity, and care. And through it all, I carry the wisdom of the bald eagle from that first sit spot: a reminder to rise above, to see clearly, and to trust in the signs and guidance that appear when we slow down and open our hearts. The eagle teaches us to honor perspective, clarity, and courage—to trust that the path we are called to follow is held in the light of something greater.

Friends of the Forest has grown from that single, sacred walk into a living sanctuary — held not only in the forests, rivers, and fields, but on the page, in the mail, and in the quiet spaces between women. It is a place where women can step away from the demands of daily life, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the quiet wisdom that lives within.

I chose to build this as a nonprofit because I believe that access to nature, reflection, and soft magick should not be limited by profit. My background in nonprofit work runs deep, and at my core, I've always been committed to creating spaces that serve the community, that nourish the spirit, and that prioritize connection over commerce. By keeping Friends of the Forest a nonprofit, we ensure that every offering — from a forest walk to a printed magazine to a handwritten letter — remains focused on well-being, reflection, and shared experience.

This vision is rooted in the belief that women thrive when they are supported, seen, and guided back to the rhythms of nature. It is a belief that has been proven over and over again through the thousands of women who have walked with us in the forests, read our writing, joined our gatherings, and found their own way home.

That is the heart of Friends of the Forest: a place to pause, to rise, to see your life from the sacred vantage of the soul.

With gratitude,
Kathleen
Founder, Friends of the Forest

Where We Are Now

What began as a series of forest bathing walks has grown into something wider and deeper than I could have imagined from that first sit spot by the river.

Today, Friends of the Forest is a place women can walk with over seasons and years — not only in person, but on the page and in quiet correspondence. Our work now lives across four rhythms:

Written Companionship — The Hidden Manuscripts, our seasonal literary magazine; a growing Library of guides, journeys, and Wheel of the Year offerings; and Letters from the Quiet Places, a monthly letter arriving by post.

Sisterhood — The Light Bearer Sisters, our women's penpal correspondence; Wildflower Women on Patreon, our online community; and Mystic Brews & Literary Views, our book club.

Gathering — forest bathing walks, equine-inspired wisdom, and seasonal in-person events held here in Connecticut and, at times, further afield.

Deep Journeys — multi-week virtual intensives that walk women through the Wheel of the Year, the Sacred Trees of the Celtic calendar, and other traditions of women's earth wisdom.

Some women find us for a single walk. Some read the magazine each season. Some settle in for years, moving from the forest to the page to the letter to the circle — finding a rhythm that matches their own life.

Whatever door a woman walks through, the invitation is the same: slow down, come home to yourself, remember that you belong to something greater.

Meet the Founder

Kathleen Lowe is a certified Mindful Outdoor Guide through the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and a certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Her work draws on the Japanese tradition of Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), ecotherapy, and the Way of Council.

Kathleen has also completed training in somatic healing, which she weaves into her forest therapy practice to help women attune to their bodies, release stored tension, and ground themselves in the present moment. She holds a bachelor's degree in the History of Art & Architecture from Brown University, and sees nature as a living canvas — rich with texture, color, and beauty that invites reflection and personal expression.

In 2026, Kathleen is beginning a personal journey with the Sisterhood of Avalon, a community dedicated to remembering and renewing the ways of Celtic women's wisdom. Through her walks, writing, and year-long programs, she continues to weave together the medicine of trees, the lessons of the seasons, and the teachings of women's sacred traditions.

Our Leadership Circle
Friends of the Forest is held by a small circle of women rooted in trust, mutual respect, and shared purpose.

  • Kathleen Lowe

    President

  • Elizabeth Hoffman

    Vice President

  • Risa Salinas

    Treasurer

  • Kim Brand

    Development Chair