Nature's Healing Power on Appalachian Trail

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

On a recent sunny day, hikers stood at an entry point on the Appalachian Trail near Hawk¹ Mountain in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Some rested and drank water as they prepared to continue hiking on the 3,508-kilometer walking path. The Appalachian Trail stretches from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south.

One of the hikers is Mario Kovach, a war veteran. On his right arm are the last names of many soldiers permanently² written, or tattooed³ -- Solesbee, Bell, Schwartz, Seidler, Miller⁴, Moss⁵ -- just to name a few.

They were all members of the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance⁶ Disposal unit. And they all died in battle. They had the dangerous job of defusing bombs. That was also Kovach's job for 20 years in the Air Force. Kovach retired⁷ in 2018. He served five tours of duty in Afghanistan without serious injury to his body. However, his mental health suffered.

So, he has been treating his mental health on the trail and in other places in nature. He shared his experiences of healing on the trails with a reporter from the Associated Press.

"Nature is nothing that man controls," Kovach said. He added that it is both the natural environment and the peace and quiet that has helped him heal.

Cindy Ross is a writer and lifelong hiker. Her latest book is Walking Toward Peace — Veterans Healing on America's Trails. It is about the veterans Ross serves through the nonprofit organization called River House PA. Her experience with some veterans who thru-hiked the trail in 2013 led her to start the organization. "Thru-hiked" means they walked the whole 3,508 kilometers.

Ross describes the organization and its surrounding natural environment as places where veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder⁹, or PTSD, can heal.

PTSD is a condition affecting soldiers who have experienced extreme conditions in war. But it develops in anyone who has experienced a shocking, scary or dangerous event.

PTSD involves reliving the trauma⁸ over and over. It includes physical responses like a fast heartbeat. People suffering from PTSD may have bad dreams and frightening thoughts. They can also be easily surprised, feel tense, have trouble sleeping and have angry outbursts

One study suggests that as many as 30 percent of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. Many Vietnam veterans are still affected¹⁰.

Veterans also take their own lives in greater numbers than the general population. Suicides in the military have been called an epidemic¹¹. The Department of Veterans Affairs says in 2018, nearly 18 veterans committed suicide every day.

The number of those who have killed themselves has gone down among veterans who have received care through the department. However, experts say much work remains¹² to be done.

Kovach is among the veterans Ross wrote about in her book. The men and women had extreme experiences. In many cases, they were close to suicide before discovering the healing power of nature.

Ross worked with the veterans agency and word spread about the program. Besides hiking the trails, activities include different types of boating.

Paralyzed veterans can ride specialized¹³ mountain bikes on the trails. And at the end of the day's activities, they all meet to have dinner together around a fire.

"At least a few of them would start to cry and say, ‘It was the best day of my life,'" Ross said. They also say to Ross that they need to do this with their family and children. The veterans often tell her a day in nature was what saved their lives.

Last fall, Kovach helped start "Project Felix" . It is a nonprofit group for soldiers who are dealing¹⁴ with survivor's guilt¹⁵ and other conditions. He said the goal is to reduce military suicides.

He said there are other ways to heal. But, a day in the woods — or a week, or a month — is among the best.

"It doesn't cost anything," he said. "You're not putting medications into you. And you can do it anytime."

Words in This Story

hiker –n. a person who walks a long distance for pleasure and exercise

stress –n. to cause or experience physical or emotional tension

trail –n. a walking path, usually in nature

defuse –v. to remove part of an explosive device so that it is no longer harmful

traumatic –adj. causing someone to become very upset in a way that can lead to serious mental and emotional problems : trauma –n. a disordered psychic¹⁶ or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury

tense –adj. nervous and not able to relax

outburst –n. a violent expression of feeling

epidemic –n. the sudden quick spread of something harmful or unwanted

paralyzed –adj. unable to move part of the body such as arms or legs

1 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

2 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

3 tattooed   

v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• He had tattooed his wife's name on his upper arm. 他把妻子的名字刺在上臂上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sailor had a heart tattooed on his arm. 那水兵在手臂上刺上一颗心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

6 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

9 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

14 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

15 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

16 psychic   

n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的

参考例句：

• Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
• She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能，能预知未来。