In Mühl Rosin, important stakeholders involved in the development, creation designation, certification and marketing of spa and healing forests Mecklenburg-Vorpommern met on November 23, 2022 to exchange experiences. At their joint meeting on the subject of forests and health, they founded the interest group "Cluster Forest and Health".
The alliance aims to further strengthen and promote the topic of forest therapy and the use of forests for medical therapeutic purposes in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and beyond. The meeting reviewed the development to date, called for the continuation of the initiated processes and discussed focal points for future development.
With the creation of spa and healing forests in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a movement was initiated which encounters today world-wide large interest. Especially in many other regions of Germany, but also in numerous European countries, these quality standards and experiences have been taken up. The members of the interdisciplinary interest group pursue the goal of securing the pioneering role of the federal state and the professional expertise also in the coming years and of expanding the "Cluster Forest and Health". In this way, the synergy effects of the health and forestry sectors are to be brought together in order to make more targeted use of the potential of nature-based health tourism in particular. In particular, the public perception of the forest as a green therapeutic area is to be strengthened, also in connection with the Corona pandemic.
The representatives of the following institutions have founded the interest group "Cluster Forest and Health":
BioCon Valley® GmbH; International Certification Office Healing Forest
Chair of Naturopathy of the University Medicine Rostock
Chair of Health & Prevention of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Greifswald
International Society of Forest Therapy (ISFT)
Initiative T!Raum One Health-Region Western Pomerania
One Health Research Center of the University of Greifswald
Protective Association of German Forests (SDW Landesverband MV)
Spa Association Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V.
State Forestry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
State Forestry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Energy and Forest Service GmbH
The meeting was supported by representatives of the Ministry of Climate Protection, Agriculture, Rural Areas and Environment Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labor Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Find more information in German here.
