Today is National Trails Day

So what are you doing inside?

Get out there and play!  Find Natural Trails Day events in your area HERE. And good news if you’re planning on visiting a National Park Service site today or tomorrow - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently announced free admission to all National Park Service sites on June 5 and 6 to help celebrate National Trails Day.

Don’t just take our word for it….

A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that getting out and communing with nature is better for feeling rejuvenated than reaching for the ever-so-urban cup of coffee. “Nature is fuel for the soul, ” says Richard Ryan, lead author and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. Both physically and mentally, we’re zippier when we step into the wild.

Photo: Palouse Falls by Sara Horn.

Found on a post on TreeHugger , Science Daily writes, “The findings, adds Ryan, are important for both mental and physical health. ‘Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illnesses. One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings,’ says Ryan.”