Other names: Tara L. Brown, Tara Lynette Brown, Tara Brown
Personal Website | LinkedIn | Research Gate
Research Themes
forest bathing, forest therapy, shinrin-yoku, nature therapy, environmental health, environmental monitoring, vegetation surveying, trail assessment, personalized health, acoustic ecology, sensory science, AI evaluation
Research Interests
Environmental Health: Investigating the intersection of environmental factors with public health outcomes, with a dedication to enhancing community well-being through natural interventions.
Forest Therapy: Focusing on the physiological and psychological benefits of forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku), aiming to develop scalable models for implementation in diverse ecological and social contexts.
AI & Nature Evaluation: Testing how AI language models evaluate natural spaces for therapeutic use, perturbation testing with wildlife and habitat conflict data, and defining human observation thresholds.
Digital Innovation: Creating augmented reality (AR) applications to simulate immersive nature experiences, making forest therapy accessible to individuals facing physical or logistical barriers.
Community Engagement: Championing community science initiatives to foster inclusive citizen participation in environmental monitoring and education, particularly within urban settings.
Environmental Monitoring: Conducting rigorous research to understand the health impacts of specific environmental conditions, with a focus on acoustic quality and sensory affordances.
Academic Background
2021 – 2025 | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Sustainable Forest Management Research Group
2019 | Certificate on Education for Sustainable Development, Sustainability Studies, University for Peace (UPEACE), UN Mandated
2003 | Bachelor of Science in Technology Management, Post University, Waterbury, CT
1995 | Diploma of Technology in Information Systems, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Burnaby, BC
Certifications
2021 | Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, Credential ID 77 (Hummingbird)
2019 | Forest Medicine Trainee, International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine
Professional Experience
2026 – Present | Research Fellow, Sentient Futures, Vancouver, BC
2021 – Present | Independent Researcher & Program Designer (Founder, Silent Trails & Sit Spot Club), Vancouver, BC
2021 – 2025 | Doctoral Researcher & Clinical Trial Lead, UBC Faculty of Forestry, Vancouver, BC
2023 – Present | Project Lead (ForestAR), UBC Emerging Media Lab, Vancouver, BC
2014 – 2021 | Co-Founder, Board Member, and CEO, KitHub, Los Angeles, CA, and Tokyo, Japan
2012 – 2019 | Co-Founder, Board Member, and Chief Encouragement Officer, Los Angeles Makerspace, Los Angeles, CA
2015 – 2016 | Co-Founder, Board Member, and Technical Director, Connected Camps, Los Angeles, CA
2012 – 2016 | Technical Director, DML Research Hub at UC Irvine, Irvine, CA
2009 – 2010 | Account Manager: Artist Services, Topspin Media, Los Angeles, CA
2008 – 2009 | Senior Program Manager, Topspin Media, Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA
2000 – 2008 | Senior Lead Program Manager, Microsoft, Mountain View, CA, and Redmond, WA
Projects
Sentient Futures: Benchmarking AI Trail Evaluation
Research Fellow | January 2026 – Present
Directing an empirical benchmark testing how frontier AI language models evaluate natural spaces for therapeutic use compared to human field assessments. Testing model responses to wildlife and habitat conflict information and establishing criteria for human observation thresholds.
Silent Trails: Therapeutic Trail Evaluation Protocol
Lead Researcher & Project Lead, In partnership with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks | June 2023 – Present
Developed a standardized field protocol to evaluate natural trails and green spaces for therapeutic and restorative use, measuring acoustic quality, sensory affordances, and naturalness. Piloted with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks to guide quiet trail zoning and health interventions.
Sit Spot Club: Attention Restoration & Guided Programs
Creator & Program Designer | August 2024 – Present
Created evidence-based, 10-minute guided audio programs for nervous system regulation and stress reduction. Licensed facilitator toolkits to clinical practitioners and occupational therapists, alongside community meetups.
Forestʌr: Your On-Demand Guide to Forest Bathing
Project Lead, The University of British Columbia, Emerging Media Lab, Vancouver, BC | May 2023 – Present
Led development of an augmented reality (AR) application replicating natural sensory exposure to support student mental health and provide accessible nature contact for individuals facing physical or mobility barriers.
Awards and Grants
Public Scholar, UBC Public Scholars Initiative, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (2023 – 2025)
Fellow, Centre for Japanese Research, Institute of Asian Research, UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (2023 – 2025)
UBC President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award (2021 – 2025)
Conference Travel Grant, DeSci London, Awarded January 2023
Conference Travel Grant, B.C. Community Forests, Awarded January 2023
Nature Vancouver Graduate Scholarship, Awarded May 2022
Shuttleworth Foundation Flash Grant, Awarded January 2021
Conference Presentations
Brown, T.L. (2025). Sensing the Forest: Participatory Trail Assessment. Presentation at the Second International Conference on Forest Therapy, August, Vancouver, BC.
Brown, T.L. (2024). Forest Bathing in Canada: A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Environmental Influence on Health. Presentation at The 26th IUFRO World Congress, T4.15 Healing Power of Nature: Forest Therapy in Action, June 23-29, Stockholm, Sweden.
Brown, T.L. (2023). Designing Evidence-Based Forest Spaces: A Comparative Review of Japanese and Canadian Approaches. Presentation at the 3rd World Conference on Forests for Public Health, October 4-7, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Brown, T.L. (2023). Designing Health-Promoting Forest Spaces in BC’s Community Forests: Lessons from Japan’s Forest Therapy Trails. Poster session presented at the BC Community Forest Association Conference, June 7-9, Kamloops, BC.
Brown, T.L. (2022). Sensing the Forest: Participatory Trail Assessment. Presentation at the International Conference on Forest Therapy, July 7-9, Vancouver, BC.
Peer Reviewed Work
Brown, T.L. (2023). Forest Bathing. In S. Priest, S. Ritchie & D. Scott (Eds.). Outdoor Learning in Canada. Open Resource Textbook. Retrieved from http://olic.ca
Non-Peer Reviewed Work
Brown, T. (2019, October 3). Noise Pollution: How To Measure Its Effect On Your Health. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@tara/noise-pollution-how-to-measure-its-effect-on-your-health-d97a87d845bd
Brown, T. (2019, August 9). Blend subjects and build skills – The Canadian. The Canadian. Retrieved from https://thecanadian.cccj.or.jp/blend-subjects-and-build-skills/
Public Outreach
Brown, Tara Tiger (2024, June). ForestTherapy Guide. IUFRO World Congress.
Brown, T.L. (2023, April). Forest Bathing Research Overview. Presented at the Pacific Spirit Park Society.
Brown, T.L. (2022, May). Forest Bathing in B.C. Parks. Presented at the Salt Spring Trail & Nature Club, Salt Spring Island.
Brown, T.L. (2022, April). Forest Bathing: Health and Wellbeing. Presented at the Arrowsmith Naturalists, Qualicum, B.C.
Brown, T.L. (2022, February). Forest Bathing and Evidence-based Research. Presented at the Smithers Climate Action Group, Smithers, B.C.
Institute for the Future (IFTF). (2020). IFTF Online Collaboration: Crowdsourcing Safety in Times of Crisis, Featuring Tara Brown of SafeCast [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92XIcwTEyKM&ab_channel=InstitutefortheFuture%28IFTF%29
Brown, T.L. (2017, April 22). Measuring Air Quality in Los Angeles. Presented at the March for Science Los Angeles.
Professional Memberships
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT)
Children & Nature Network
Earth Charter Educators Network
International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine
Nature Vancouver
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
The GLOBE Program
