The D&R Greenway will continue its celebration of trees with a workshop and nature walk on Thursday, March 21 at 5 p.m.
In the Company of Trees author Andrea Fereshteh will lead a meditation workshop focused on trees, healing and nature. Beginning at the Johnson Education Center, participants will have the opportunity to walk through Greenway Meadows Park, pausing to ignite the senses at different points and experience the benefits of being immersed in nature.
The event will take place at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton. Fereshteh says she found her peace and passion in the woods near her home in Pennington. A native of the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, Fereshteh grew up climbing all the trees in her yard and hiking near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
After she moved to New Jersey in 2011, her journeys on local trails led her to write a blog post for the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy that led to Simon & Schuster asking her to write an inspiring and poetic book about trees.
Her newly published book is full of short essays, inspirational quotes and color photographs that can be enjoyed piece-by-piece, allowing the reader to savor the experience.
Fereshteh credits the lands preserved by D&R Greenway and other local conservation groups as having inspired her writing about the ancient and enduring wisdom of trees.
“Practicing being present in nature has been a truly transformative experience for me,” Fereshteh says. “We are so lucky to have so many amazing preserved natural spaces in our area. They are incredible resources for experiencing firsthand the magic of nature, and I am thrilled to encourage others to get outside and take advantage of our local trails by sharing this new book.”
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Georgetown University, Fereshteh writes for educational institutions, nonprofits and freelance publications. She has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than a decade and leads weekly meditation sessions in the tradition of John Main, OSB, the Roman Catholic priest and Benedictine monk who presented a form of meditation using a prayer-phrase or mantra.
Fereshteh’s interest in blending mindful and contemplative practices with nature led her into the woods of central New Jersey where she has practiced forest bathing for the past two years.
The event is free to attend, but registration is required. Email rsvp@drgreenway.org or call (609) 924-4646. drgreenway.org.
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