How nature heals trauma

Our public lands play a pivotal role in the emotional and spiritual recovery for some veterans. In 2005, I returned home from a yearlong deployment to Iraq. And no one ever tells you that coming home is one of the hardest parts of serving. Reintegration back into civilian life — no matter what your job was overseas or stateside — can take a toll on service members both mentally and physically. But many service members and veterans have realized the benefits of the outdoors to help ease that transition.