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| Photo courtesy of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library |
Combine your family鈥檚 love of children鈥檚 books and nature by participating in the StoryWalk Project, a Vermont-based initiative that turns reading into a physical activity by posting stories page-by-page along popular walking routes such as nature trails. Besides improving reading skills and promoting exercise, StoryWalk鈥檚 books can also stimulate environmental awareness, says the project鈥檚 founder Anne Ferguson.
Ferguson often schedules seasonal books, such as by David Ezra Stein, a tale told through the eyes of a young bear that teaches readers about hibernation and the cycle of the seasons, or by Henrietta Bancroft, to be set up along a trail during time of year that coincides with the book鈥檚 theme. She also prepares StoryWalks with ecosystem or wildlife books that match the particular area they are installed, like , an old Appalachian folk poem, which was once set up along a Vermont nature center鈥檚 meadow trails.
Since 2007, the project has spread to 28 states, from Maine to Oregon. To find StoryWalks near you, or contact your local nature center or municipal recreation department. Interested in building your own? Check out Ferguson鈥檚 tips on how to install a StoryWalk by visiting the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition鈥檚 .