Sacred Places
The Green Road at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Trails laid so quietly you almost don't see them, and wide enough for a wheelchair.
WHERE
Bethesda, MD
SETTING
Healthcare
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Visit
Where it is
8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889
What happens here
Wounded warriors and their families come here. Open since 2016, the site also carries multiple studies into the role nature can play in treating conditions like PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
Accessible was the whole point.
Drag to see the transformation.
01
The Need
The purpose was to aid the healing of wounded warriors dealing with the invisible wounds of war. Many of the soldiers in the area's long-term living units are amputees facing long, painful recoveries, so a woodland that could not be entered by wheelchair would have excluded the people it was for.
02
The Vision
A National Nature Sacred Award recipient, and a first of its kind: a woodland respite bordering the military's flagship hospital that would combine a healing, patient-centred approach with rigorous data on what actually improves veterans' health.
03
The Transformation
A forested piece of land bordering the hospital became the site. The creek running through it was restored as part of the project. Paved trails were laid inconspicuously through the woods so the space stays wooded while remaining wheelchair accessible. Fallen trees were left where they lay. A bench with a yellow journal tucked beneath it stands beside the creek.
WHO TENDS IT
HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
Thank you so much for the trails and details. This is my favorite place on campus. My service dog loves the break too. It's definitely the best place to relax after all the appointments and PT, plus a little PT in itself. Best place to get my step count and relax my mind.
– SGT Gardner
