Meet your guide…

Hi there! I'm Ilana Rubin (she/her), founder of Kindred Nature and a certified nature and forest therapy (a.k.a. forest bathing) guide in Northern Virginia and the surrounding area. I'd love to welcome you to any of my upcoming events or to create a custom private one-on-one, pair, or group session or series for you!

So, where would you like to go from here?

• Join an upcoming event: Click on the "My Walks" tab above or visit my website.
• Stay in the loop on all of my events and receive some sweet, calming, and wellness-boosting nature notes in your inbox: Sign up for my Kindred Nature Nook emails.
• Connect: Click on one of the options under the "Connect" section on the side or bottom of this page.
• Request a private nature connection experience: Click on "Request Private Walk" on the side or bottom of this page.
• Schedule a free 15-minute intro call with me: Head over here.
• Learn more first: Keep on reading!

About Kindred Nature:
At Kindred Nature, I guide you back to what you already are—nature. Through nature therapy, forest bathing (inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku), mindful nature walk & learns, and ecological design, I offer and co-create experiences and spaces for you to replenish your inner radiance, resilience, and sense of belonging with nature and community.

Offerings:
Through Kindred Nature, I offer both in-person experiences throughout Northern Virginia and the greater DC region, and remotely-guided sessions wherever you are.

Seasonal offerings include deeply restorative and empowering nature therapy experiences at beautiful parks and gardens throughout Northern Virginia, along with private sessions tailored to individuals, families, and organizations. I also plan and facilitate nature-inspired wellness retreats, seasonal series, engaging annual or strategic planning meetings, and more. These uniquely restorative, stress-reducing, and community-building events are customized for you in collaboration with other wonderful regional wellness facilitators (including for yoga, sound meditation, and breathwork).

About Me & How I Guide:
I believe that all bodies, backgrounds, identities, and experiences belong in nature, as part of nature ourselves. Whether you are seeking stress relief, deeper ecological understanding, greater creativity, a new team experience, or simply a moment of peace among the trees, you are welcome here.

Through gentle guidance, you'll discover how mindful and bodyful presence in natural settings can transform your wellbeing, restore wonder, and remind you of your place in the web of life. Join me in remembering ourselves as nature as we cultivate reciprocity with our shared, living worlds.

Growing up exploring the rivers, ponds, and mountains of the Adirondacks fostered my early love and kinship with nature, and I am always on the journey of deepening that relationship. Wanders, adventures, dancing, playing music, cozy moments, neurodiversity, cultivating communities-of-the-moment, and finding ways to hold space for both the wonder and wounds of life are some of what fuels me.

My Kindred Nature offerings and ways of being are also shaped by my breadth and depth of other experiences, including: environmental nonprofits, federal water policy, coalition management and leadership, disability services, team leadership, program development, job coaching, education, human resources, anthropology, mental health, and resilience.

Credentials:
If you're curious about official credentials, mine include:
- Nature & Forest Therapy Guide Certification from the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides & Programs
- Permaculture Design Teaching Apprenticeship Certificate from Shenandoah Permaculture Institute and the University of Richmond, plus two Permaculture Design Certificates
- Master of Public Administration degree in Environmental Science & Policy from Columbia University
- Graduate certificate in Nonprofit Human Services Management from Suffolk University
- Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from SUNY Plattsburgh

Clients & Collaborators:
I am deeply grateful to have guided 90+ nature therapy experiences for a wide range of individuals, families, and organizations, and to have collaborated with exceptional regional parks, gardens, and other wellness facilitators. Current and past Kindred Nature clients and collaborators include:
- US National Forest Service International Programs
- Potomac Riverkeeper Network
- Mississippi River Network
- BCS
- GW Office of Integrative Medicine & Health
- Ohr Kodesh Congregation
- Potomac Overlook Regional Park
- Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
- Winkler Botanical Preserve
- The Grounds of Livev
- Center for Spirituality in Nature
- Inner Sound Collective

I'm excited to hear from you! Until then, I'm wishing you more moments of wonder with nature in your life.