to realize how restored they can make us feel, nor are we aware that studies also show they make us healthier, more creative, more empathetic, and more apt to engage with the world and with each
— FLORENCE WILLIAMS, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, 2017
As trail advocates, builders, and users we each have our stories of how just being out in nature is good for our mind, body, and soul. Sometimes the best books are those that remind us of these simple truths— among them “just get outside.”
Many of us share our passion for trails by helping oth- ers get outdoors, whether it’s building a trail or leading a group in the wilderness. In the 1990s when I was the South Carolina State Trails Coordinator our slogan was “Hey, Get on a Trail.” We weren’t pushing any one activity; we just wanted people to experience the outdoors, preferably on a trail. a Trail” mantra when I’m feeling a bit down or just over- whelmed with day-to-day chores. My wife Sandra and I take a walk with our dog Willow on a nearby trail most evenings after dinner. We all enjoy being in the woods for that hour or so before turning in for the night. We both also enjoy longer trips either backpacking or biking. It used to be on weekends, but now we have the freedom to go just about any time. Nature and retirement— what an unbeatable com- bination. Williams found that we are disconnected from the natu-
ral world more and more and her book tells us all the rea- sons why just getting outdoors (for many of us on a trail), each and every day, is enough to make us happier, healthier, and more creative in our everyday lives. To sum up, Williams makes a compelling and elegant
outdoors,” and it’s destructive to our mental and physical health. Nature not only makes us feel better, it also alters response. The therapy is straightforward— to paraphrase John Muir “The Outdoors is Calling, and I MUST GO.” So, what are you waiting for: Just. Get. On. A. Trail.
Jim Schmid has been State Trails Coordinator for South Carolina and Manager of The Florida Trail for the U.S. Forest Service. See his own trail travels at
jimstrailresources.wordpress.com.
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