The Pickaway County Library and the Pickaway County Park District have collaborated to create a StoryWalk® at Metzger Preserve in Williamsport.
Located at 300 Ballard Avenue, Williamsport, the StoryWalk® at Metzger Preserve is approximately half a mile on a flat, mowed trail. The 16 stations feature the pages of the book Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell.
“We chose this book because it really reflects the mission of the StoryWalk® Project to promote early literacy, physical activity, and family time together in nature,” says Michelle Callahan, community relations manager for the Pickaway County Library.
Arista Hartzler, deputy director of the Park District, states, “This StoryWalk combines a walk through our tall grass prairie along several of our shorter mowed trails which families will find fairly easy for walking with preschoolers and early elementary students as well as with large-wheeled strollers. Your route will take you along pollinator areas and woods which we hope you will find as a beautiful and relaxing retreat in nature.”
Participants are encouraged to complete a simple survey at the end of the trail to help gage interest in the StoryWalk®. The survey is available on paper at the end of the trail or through a QR code.
The Metzger Preserve has prairies, woods and access to Deer Creek where visitors may be able to see unique ageological features called concretions, depending on the water level. In addition to the Storywalk®, visitors are invited to skip rocks in the creek and picnic at Williamsport’s neighboring Ballard Avenue Park.
This park will host a program for Earth Science Week on October 15 at 1PM. You can learn more about at the Park District’s website – pickawaycountyparks.org.
Books about prairies, trees, rivers and more can be found at the Pickaway County Library. Reserve items through the library’s website – pickawaylib.org.
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.
