StoryWalk®
In 2024, WCNRD began raising funds to create a StoryWalk® program for local parks and hiking trails.
StoryWalk® turns children’s books into an interactive experience. Pages of a book are posted along a path or trail, allowing readers to enjoy the story while spending time outdoors. StoryWalk® displays can include additional activities, like scavenger hunts and puzzles. It’s a great way to encourage families to enjoy time together outdoors and increase local use of our parks and trails.
Our goal for this program is to create multiple StoryWalks® around Weston County and build a catalog of prepared books.
Grant:
The Weston County Natural Resource District was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation to support the creation of a permanent StoryWalk® installation in Newcastle. The grant fully funded the purchase and installation of the StoryWalk® displays and allowed WCNRD to purchase and prepare a collection of books. The grand opening of the Centennial Park StoryWalk® took place in early November. WCNRD plans to change out books approximately every 4-6 weeks.
SPONSORS
Craig Wiggins, Barb Crow, Shelley Williamson, Susan Lankford, Rick and Susan Pillen, Sherie Hilgenkamp, Deb Ellsworth,
Newcastle Vision Clinic, and the Flowering Fingers Garden Club
Thank you for sponsoring our StoryWalk® program!
About StoryWalk®
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
There is no cost to use the StoryWalk® trademark, so all donations go directly to creating and maintaining the displays. The only requirements to use the StoryWalk® mark is that we must follow a few simple guidelines. First, all promotion of our StoryWalk® project must include the above statement about who created and owns the service mark. Second, the program must be limited to use in connection with educational, noncommercial projects consistent with the StoryWalk Project mission to promote early literacy, physical activity, and family time together in nature.
While we could call the program something other than StoryWalk® and not need to comply with any guidelines, using the StoryWalk® name connects us to a worldwide community. There are plans to create a national registry and map of StoryWalk® locations.
If you have visited the Centennial Park StoryWalk®, please take a moment to provide feedback in the form below.