Veterans Observe Creatures of Land and Sea with Wounded Warrior Project

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Injured veterans and their family members recently joined Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) to celebrate nature and view its diversity at the Audubon Nature Institute's zoo and aquarium. While viewing a variety of wildlife, participants forged bonds with fellow military families.

With the Audubon Zoo located in the historic uptown of New Orleans and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas adjacent to the French Quarter on the Mississippi River, the outing offered a glimpse of the Crescent City's most notable locations. Exhibits ran the gamut from familiar – including screech owls, Louisiana black bears, and sea turtles – to the obscure, with tapirs, colobus monkeys, black diamond leopoldi stingrays, and rhinoceros hornbills. Guests also saw curiosities like dragonhead katydids and sunburst diving beetles at the insectarium.   

When wounded veterans participate in WWP programmatic outreach gatherings, they make the all-important choice to get out of the house and enjoy social engagement in a trusted environment. These fun activities support the recovery needs of warriors by reintroducing them and their families to the unique bonds experienced during military service.

Because of post-traumatic stress disorder, Army veteran Dave Krasner sometimes has adverse reactions to the stimuli of the everyday world. The sense of understanding and unspoken bond with other wounded warriors at WWP excursions is what gets his family involved whenever possible.

"It's the only time I can be with those who understand and relate to my reactions to common noises and situations," Dave said. "I bring my family to these events, and by having them interact with other veterans they see I'm not abnormal or alone in this thought process."

Dave said that while the mental toll of being a combat veteran is perceived as a solitary burden to carry, the situation is compounded when family members are involved.

"They suffer with me – not being able to go to major sporting events that are too crowded, avoiding shopping malls that are busy, things like that," he said. "But WWP has provided me a way to get back to being a dad and husband for a while. I am thankful to them for helping my family along the way through our journey toward recovery."     

WWP staff interacts closely with attendees during these outings, advising them of additional programs and services to assist in their recovery processes. Generous donors make it possible for wounded veterans to participate in various activities and take advantage of beneficial programs at no cost to them.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The WWP purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

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SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project