Story Trail
Father and son on the story trail.
One goal of the staff and the Friends Group at Red River Refuge is helping people of all ages learn about nature and spend time outside in nature. Most children naturally connect with animals. Reading stories about animals while walking along a trail and spending time outdoors with their family or guardian should create a memorable experience for children. What began as StoryWalk® has become Red River NWR Story Trail which combines three critical elements for overall family health:
early literacy learning
family engagement in the outdoors
physical activity
Story Trail is a fun, educational activity that places the pages from a children’s story along a trail at Red River Refuge. This started as a two year project in 2020 but it is now in its 4th year!.
Family on the story trail.
A new book is featured each month, however the actual story will only be posted along the 1/4 mile trail for about two weeks. Story Trail works for a one-time visitor who reads a story during a refuge visit, but we envision our program as a year-long book club, inviting families and youth groups to visit the refuge throughout the year; thereby experiencing the changing seasons and increasing their reading miles. If the same family participates all twelve months, they will have read 12 books and walked at least 6 miles outdoors in all four seasons I am planning to put up the first book on the trail in January 2021. So for the next several months, we will be working to get the book pages laminated and ready to put on wooden sign posts. I also want to create table-top displays and worksheets to go along with each book.
I am working with formal and informal educators and volunteers on the worksheets/activities pages and table top
displays. We will post the pages on the refuge web site and have copies in the visitor center (or in the wooden box outside the VC doors). Ranger Katey made a draft passport for all 12 books for each year. We’ll use stamps or stickers on the passport. Each month we will have a drawing for up to 5 prizes for those who get their passport stamped and/or complete the work sheets. We will also make a Facebook page specifically for the project – this will be under the Friends Group. We might give out a certificate of participation for those who complete all 12 books.
