For veterans adjusting to life outside of the military, finding resources and a support group can make a difference. In Athens, Boots on the Trail provides connections and support to veterans.
Boots on the Trail is an organization that brings veterans together in the outdoors to connect with other veterans and have a space to talk with one another about the unique challenges they face.
Boots on the Trail operates through free ecotherapy, the therapeutic process based on the idea that being out in nature supports overall mental and physical well-being.
The organization combines ecotherapy with service, such as cleaning up local trails and parks while giving veterans an opportunity to discuss obstacles they navigate.
The nonprofit organization was established in June 2024 by Bill Hayes, Ryan Leach and Tom Watson. Since then, the organization has cleaned up various trails in the area in locations such as Strouds Run and Burr Oak.
Exclusively for veterans, Boots on the Trail visits trails in the area to provide maintenance like clearing out invasive species and moving downed trees off the trails.
Bill Hayes, president of Boots on the Trail, described the idea behind the combination of ecotherapy and service for veterans.
“We go out every two weeks at least, so the veterans can rely on having an opportunity to get together with their fellow vets and going out and doing something that gives them a little mission, gives them a sense of accomplishment, makes them feel like they’re contributing to the community,” Hayes said.
Hayes said understanding that most veterans they work with willingly enlisted is important.
“That’s really probably more important than people understand,” he stated. “The draft ended in 1973, so pretty much all the vets that we see out there are people that volunteered to give something up to the ultimate, the greater good.”
Recognizing the contributions veterans made and continue to make, Boots on the Trail puts its mission into practice biweekly by giving back to the trails around Athens.
The mission is based around the idea of outdoor pursuits. The goal is to go out with hand tools, create a defined mission and get everyone back after three hours of work out in nature. Veterans are welcome to talk as much as they feel comfortable with.
“In the process, they talk about everything,” Hayes said. “We don’t do guided discussions or anything. The vets are free to talk about or not talk about anything they do or don’t want to talk about out there. They help each other navigate a lot of the issues of just basically being a vet.”
Ryan Leach, secretary of the board for Boots on the Trail, said the sense of being out in nature aids veterans in their ability to open up to one another, making conversations more organic.
“The thing is with veterans, a lot of the time we’re running into is they might not want to go to a traditional therapy setting,” Leach said. “But you get people together in the outdoors, and all those barriers start to break down.”
Leach said traditional therapy and ecotherapy are nearly different languages.
Breaking down barriers for veterans is one of the main goals of Boots on the Trail. Having a free, outdoor meeting spot is beneficial for those who may be recovering from addiction.
“We are not a bar, so if we have somebody who is maybe struggling with substance abuse issues or something like that, they can come out there and be around their fellow veterans without having that pressure of drinking,” Leach said.
Boots on the Trail’s focus on a supportive, outdoor environment offers veterans an alternative to get out in nature. The organization’s impact reaches into the community, inspiring those around Athens.
Ema Carter, a senior studying management information systems and business analytics, shared her thoughts on what it means to be surrounded by a county organization that is willing to be there for local veterans.
“Everybody has little things that they’re dealing with. But for veterans, it is a lot of war induced and anxiety induced, so having Athens be so supportive of their well-being is just a great thing,” Carter said. “This organization giving them some time to be on their own and to connect with nature is just super cool.”
By combining ecotherapy and outdoor pursuits, Boots on the Trail gives veterans the supportive space to spend time with other veterans to connect with one another while giving back to Athens.
“By getting them out there in nature, for one, that right there reduces the barriers,” Leach said. “I don’t have to talk to people if I don’t want to. I can be out there for three hours and be silent, and just enjoy nature. I think that’s the impact, and that’s why we do this.”
