Building connections with nature at EcoGipps
EcoGipps recently began welcoming visitors to enjoy a day of immersion in nature with Sue Stranger, a Certified Forest Therapy Coach & Guide and founder of Renew & Nourish who creates nourishing nature immersion experiences for guests to unwind, deeply relax, and nurture their human–nature connection.
Through guided forest bathing and therapy walks, wellbeing nature retreats, and a variety of ancestral craft experiences, Sue offers gentle, restorative spaces within nature where guests can slow down, breathe deeply, and return to nature’s rhythm — nurturing health and wellbeing in ways that feel grounded, meaningful and deeply human. We thank Sue for sharing her knowledge with our readers.
Forest Bathing — Shinrin Yoku
Forest bathing, known in Japan as Shinrin-yoku, emerged in the early 1980s as a preventative health practice encouraging people to mindfully immerse themselves in forest environments. At its heart, however, this way of being with nature is far older. Indigenous cultures around the world have long embodied deep relationship, reciprocity and stewardship with the living world as a natural way of life.
Forest bathing is a gentle, restorative practice of immersing ourselves in nature’s presence with mindful, sensory awareness. As a guide, Sue offers open invitations to return home to your body and enliven the senses — sight, sound, scent, touch and intuition — softly deepening your human–nature connection and relationships with calm and inner stillness.
Partnership with EcoGipps
Renew & Nourish proudly partners with EcoGipps, sharing a vision to create respectful, restorative nature-led experiences that honour these beautiful environments while inspiring care, reciprocity and deepened relationship with the natural world. Together, we offer an expanding range of meaningful nature immersion experiences, including:
Wellbeing & Ancestral Weaving Day Retreats
Forest Bathing & Therapy Walks
Forest Bathing & Stargazing Evenings
These gathering are thoughtfully held within the protected landscapes stewarded by EcoGipps, offering guest true immersive nature experiences and connections.
Eco-Tourism Collaborations in Gippsland
We are excited to be expanding collaborations with local businesses and organisations in and around Heyfield to create meaningful regional eco-tourism experiences.
In partnership with Heyfield Adventure Hub and EcoGipps, Renew & Nourish are planning to offer special forest bathing and stargazing evenings complemented by local food and regional accommodation partners — inviting visitors to experience the beauty, stillness and hospitality of this unique Gippsland landscape.
Gather With Us Beneath the Trees
If you are longing to restore inner stillness and calm, to unwind stress and tension, to nourish your human–nature connection, and to gather in soulful community with nature, you are warmly invited to join us. Find out more at Renew & Nourish.