In the middle of a hemlock grove along the Connecticut River in Norwich is an unusual installation: an old landline phone set up in a wooden enclosure. It doesn’t work and isn’t connected to any phone line, but visitors can still pick it up and speak to someone they care about. This is a wind phone, one of hundreds like it set up around the world to help people coping with grief. The concept originated in Japan 15 years ago as a symbolic way for people to communicate with loved ones who have died.
The Healing Forest Initiative
The wind phone in Norwich was installed this summer on the grounds of the Montshire Museum of Science as part of a broader effort to use its 110-acre forest to promote mental health in the community. The initiative responds to public feedback from listening sessions about how the museum could better serve visitors. According to Lara Litchfield-Kimber, the executive director at the Montshire, “What kept coming up again and again and again was the need for support for mental health. COVID really brought that to light—the way people sought out our natural spaces.”
Research supports the idea that engaging with nature benefits mental health, reducing depression and anxiety while increasing feelings of hope. The museum calls this broader initiative the Healing Forest, which includes other installations along trails that encourage visitors to be more present in nature. One section features a playground where visitors can drop wooden balls down ramps and towers made of stone and wood that ring small bells, designed to bring in “a sound bathing aspect” that is “really soothing” as people slow down to listen.
Expansion and Community Impact
Over the next year, the museum plans to expand a wheelchair-accessible trail to the Connecticut River and build a meditation labyrinth and platforms for yoga. Museum admission is required to access these trails, though discounted pricing is available for low-income residents. The museum creates trails specifically designed to invite people who don’t identify as hikers or feel comfortable venturing into the woods. Recently, bereavement walks have been led at the museum for a local hospice center, with participants finding the experience deeply meaningful in their grief process.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2025-08-12/montshire-museum-norwich-healing-forest-to-support-mental-health