War-weary Ukrainians seek 'green' healing in their vast national parks

"Tucked in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, a group of veterans in military fatigues hike through a lush forest, moving toward the distant sound of a waterfall. "There are no air raid sirens here, no rockets flying overhead," said Oleksii Davydov, a former deputy battalion commander. It's his first vacation since the invasion began. Davydov is attending an adventure-based rehabilitation camp and has organized a hike at Skolivski Beskydy National Nature Park. The group pauses to take in the scene."

"The reality of war is inescapable for Ukrainians. Russia's full-scale invasion has killed tens of thousands, wounded hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, resulting in deep psychological scars. In February, the World Health Organization reported that almost half of Ukrainians experience mental health issues. The country's mental health system, however, is overwhelmed. There are too few resources, too few professionals and too little trust. Widespread skepticism of mental health care dates to the Soviet era, when psychiatric institutions were weaponized to silence dissidents."

"The hike is led by Iryna Hyshchuk, who started GoYra, an adventure-based program for children. "For a lot of the children who are displaced, it's their first time in the mountains. So it was exciting, a chance to run the stress out of the body," she said. A former journalist and lawyer, Hyshchuk leads with a simple philosophy rooted in her own love of the outdoors."

Tucked in the Carpathian Mountains, veterans in military fatigues hike toward a waterfall as part of adventure-based rehabilitation camps that offer temporary respite from war. Russia's invasion has killed tens of thousands, wounded hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, leaving deep psychological scars, and the World Health Organization reported that almost half of Ukrainians experience mental health issues. The national mental health system is overwhelmed, with too few resources, professionals and public trust, partly due to Soviet-era abuses. In response, organizations lead mountain hikes and nature programs for displaced children and veterans, emphasizing experiential healing rooted in outdoor exposure.

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