GRAND JUNCTION — On a warm June morning, National Park Service Ranger Amber Martin led nearly two dozen children hiking in Colorado National Monument. After examining a pinyon pine tree, Martin referred the kids to a bird identification pamphlet, noting the symbiotic relationship between the tree and the pinyon jay. She explained how the bird harvests the tree’s pine nuts, then buries them throughout the park, where they sprout and grow into trees.

But this hike wasn’t just for teaching kids local flora and fauna. Martin, a 40-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran who served tours in Afghanistan and Kuwait, is leading a unique park service program designed to help people improve their mental health by increasing access to the outdoors.

The children were brought by the nearby Riverside Educa

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