For some people, learning to read is a walk in the park. Now, it really can be, for those who decide to take a stroll on the City Park Nature Trail in St. Albans.
St. Albans Parks and Recreation, Friends of the Alban Arts and the St. Albans Public Library on Saturday will host a grand opening for the park’s new StoryWalk, structured as 19 panels that line the half-mile nature trail loop.
From 1 to 3 p.m., families can enjoy refreshments and activities, and hang out with Muffin the Book Pony. Free bookmarks and backpacks will be distributed to children. Characters from the Albans Art Center’s production of “Honk! Jr.” also will greet families and read the trail’s first book, “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,” by Bill Martin Jr.
Trailblazing
Debbie Keener, a volunteer for St. Albans Parks and Recreation, said the idea to bring a permanent StoryWalk to St. Albans came from an annual event called “Walk on the Wild Side,” where the Kanawha County Public Library provided a StoryWalk trail once a year.
However, the event only lasted about three hours, she said, so, she and program coordinator Scott Tweedy hatched a plan to bring literary fun to the park all day, every day.
Tweedy said the nature trail was chosen to host the StoryWalk because it has been “heavily used,” especially since it underwent improvements about five years ago.
This StoryWalk is the first of its kind in the area, Tweedy said.
While StoryWalks are present in 14 countries and in every U.S. state, West Virginia’s only two are located in the north-central and northeastern parts of the state.
According to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, Vermont, where StoryWalk began, children will gain stronger listening and speaking skills while developing early literacy skills by reading on the trail. The format also is conducive to bringing families together.
“This is definitely going to be a big addition to our park,” Tweedy said. “Hopefully, this is something that kids, families and the community enjoy.”
Since February, Tweedy and Keener have been raising funds and creating the StoryWalk. The first set of children’s books was purchased by the St. Albans Public Library advisory board, and additional funding was acquired by a grant from the Oakland Foundation Inc.
According to Tweedy and Keener, there was significant buy-in from the community, as individuals and businesses raised approximately $11,000 for the project, which cost about $9,000. The surplus funds will allow for upkeep and the purchase of new books.
“We’ve had overwhelming support,” Keener said. “We’re looking forward to thanking all the sponsors at the event this weekend, but, without the community, this project would not have been possible. It takes a community, it takes a village, and this trail is proof of that.”
The StoryWalk stories will be changed once a month by Parks and Recreation staff members, who will check the books out from the library and insert the new stories on the pedestals on the trail, page by page.
“My goal here is to have grandparents walk through with their grandchildren and say, ‘This is where I read my first book,’” Keener said.
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