HIKE.Vets



Hello,


If nature is not part of the solution to improve mental health then one does not have a solution. 


If you know veterans who want to improve mental health by improving brain chemistry by hiking in nature, I offer completely FREE hikes for them. They can request them by clicking on: IndianaDunesHiking.Com/request-a-hike

  

The Indiana Dunes National Park has the #4 biodiversity of all National Parks in America; however, it has the greatest biodiversity density in America because all of the species are contained in 15,349 acres. The more species that one is exposed to the more access one has to a diverse set of microbes to build their microbiome. Why does that matter? A human has ten times as many microbial cells compared to human cells. Microbes generate the brain chemicals and tune the rest of the body. 


Cell ratio of microbial to human reference: 

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body#:~:text=Methods%20and%20Results,vital%20role%20in%20human%20health.


Relationship of microbes to the brain reference:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/


A brief article that appeared in the October/November issue of AARP Magazine about what I do: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hDRMZNCE6f3PkdNK7


I sincerely hope that every veteran you come in contact with can at least learn the role that nature has in impacting their mental and physical health and even better hike.



WALK OFF THE WAR - Earl Shaffer when he came home from WWII, and four months later he was the first person to hike the entire Appalachian trail!


The Sand will Wash Off - Ron Seman


See Press Release: HikerVETS.com/Press-Release-for-5/13/23


3.26.23 

WHEN:  Request a hike ANYTIME on demand by simply filling out this form: https://forms.gle/TNowBt9tdo5GriMX8


NEXT SCHEDULED EVENT

          Saturday, 

          May 13th, 2023

          Arrive at 9:45 AM and hike with us OR

          come whenever you want for some healing by nature.

  There will be several routes that will be available and I will clearly lay them out ahead of time with photos and videos.  Check back here for details.

  1) A hike on concrete/deck/hard dirt/asphalt with a round trip distance of from 1/4 mile to 1/4 - 2 miles. (From Pavilion all the way to the Nature Center of the Indiana Dunes State Park)   

2) A hike on concrete/deck/hard dirt/asphalt/hard dirt from the Nature Center of the Indiana Dunes State Park around a portion of Trail 10    

 to the FACE TREE and then over to Trail 9 and back to the Pavilion. That includes 1) and brings total to 3 miles.

3) As we come back from 2) above we take Trail 8 north on the infamous killer sand THREE(3) Dune Challenge. We will descend from Mt Tom to the beach collapsing bavk at the pn.  to the FACE TREE and then over to Trail 9 and back to the Pavilion. That brings total to 5 miles.




WHERE: The Pavilion at the Indiana Dunes State Park  . (There is a gate fee for the Indiana Dunes State Park. It is $7 per car for Indiana residents and $12 for out of state cars.)


Here is the exact  Google Map location for the Pavilion: https://goo.gl/maps/f9pKQsH8G1rq62YN8


WHO:  YOU! Veterans, their families, their friends, their supportive groups, friendly loving dogs and service animals, oh and ALL LOVERS OF  FREEDOM!


WHAT: Hike at the diverse and beautiful Indiana Dunes State Park  We hike in dry/drizzle/hail/rain/sleet/snow/. There are no t-shirts, no bananas, no flags being handed out, no boring irrelevant speeches,  and no soliciting for anything. IT IS SIMPLY YOU IN NATURE. 


WHY: For fun, fellowship, to build your mental/physical/spiritual health, learn the nature of nature, learn about the history, and countless more things...


INITIALLY we are focusing on hiking because it is the easiest to organize. As I do with IndianaDunesHiking.Com I also lead bicycling, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and cool sledding & tobogganing! 

Thank you!


3.29.23 

One can dial 988 at anytime for any mental health question or feeling that you need to talk to someone. (988 is dialed just like if you dialed 911 but these are mental health experts and not police/fire/ambulance.)