Shepherd Center makes hiking accessible for all, encouraging outdoor activities for better brain health

The Shepherd Center offered a free hiking and bird watching clinic at Panola Mountain State Park to encourage people with cognitive and physical impairments to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

The clinic is one of many events the neurorehabilitation hospital offers throughout the year.

"We do biking, water, skiing, ski shooting, riflery, art, horticulture, anything we can get someone's interest and get them out of the house and continue to stay active," said Katie Harmon, the health and wellness coordinator for the Shepherd Center. 

"My favorite are the birding outings and my second favorite. Are these hikes and then our nature based and get me out in the woods," said Maggie Smith, a participant. 

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources provided rugged terrain-friendly wheelchairs through their Outdoors Beyond Barriers program. Georgia State Parks rangers and Feathers with Furr helped with the tour.

"Obviously, there is going to be a physical component that benefits people: getting out of bed, getting out of the house, you're learning a new skill, but the social aspect is huge," said Harmon. 

"We all have kind of similar lived experiences; there's nothing like being around a community that can share those lived experiences with you," said Smith.

Smith says she notices the mental health benefits of doing events with the center.

"Since I have been doing activities, outdoors, more, I can feel from firsthand experience that my mental health is better, my excitement to get outside is higher and I just can't get enough of it," said Smith.

The Shepherd Center has 80recreational therapy clinics this year. They're open to anyone with physical or cognitive impairments.