The Institut Català del Suro Foundation, as a member of the Empordà Designation of Origin Wine Route, participates again in it vivid, the DO Empordà wine festival that takes place during the month of April.

This year the proposed activity is a Cork forest bathroom with tasting of wine covered with Estate caps that will take place on the days April 24 and 25 in Can Vilallonga (Cassa de la Selva) with the collaboration of Consorci de les Gavarres. The activity on the 24th is only for adults and the one on the 25th for the whole family and will be run by guides from the company Biotope Nature.

What is a forest bath?

The forest bath is a natural therapy from Japan focused on improving the health and well-being of the people who have it multiple benefits. It consists of an immersive experience in a natural environment such as the cork grove in this case to get away from the visual and auditory pollution of the city to enjoy the quiet of the forest and capture with the five senses every element of nature.

The experience is developed in small groups (maximum ten people) and accompanied by a guide who has the function of acting as a mediator between the participants and the forest.

What environmental benefits do forest baths bring?

The activity of forest bathing is a formula to add possibilities in the cork oaks, which beyond the exploitation of cork offer a whole series of environmental services direct and indirect that provide both economic performance and benefits for society, such as the increase in well-being and the quality of life of people or the maintenance of ecological balances (Source: The value of the environmental services of the cork oak forests in Catalonia).

(Photo: banydebosc.com)