Get your imagination and your feet moving, during StoryWalk in Berrien County from March 21st through June 21st. Chikaming Open Lands has partnered with four local libraries to present this interactive, nature-filled adventure, combining the amazing outdoors and the wonderful world of books.
Bridgman Public Library, Buchanan District Library, New Buffalo Township Library, and Three Oaks Township Library are working with four different Open Lands preserves to guide visitors on this family-friendly literary journey, StoryWalk(R). At each preserve, there will be a story printed out and staked in the ground following the trailhead or path, with each location having a different story. Follow the pages to complete the story!
The preserves participating in this event are: Burns Prairie Reserve on Mt. Zion Road in Galien, Jens Jensen Preserve off of Parkway Drive in Sawyer, Turtle Creek Preserve on Lubke Road in New Buffalo, and Robinson Woods Preserve on East Road in Chikaming Township. This event is also sponsored by Horizon Bank.
At the end of each story, scan the QR code, enter your information, and join the StoryWalk Giveaway. The contest prize includes all four books and a newly designed Chikaming Open Lands t-shirt. Take plenty of photos on your walk, and don’t forget to tag #chikamingopenlands when you post them on social media.
StoryWalk was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Vermont, with the intention to promote early literacy and getting kids and parents outside together. Since then, it has been utilized in all fifty states and thirteen countries.
Chikaming Open Lands is the local land conservancy dedicated to preserving the open spaces and natural rural character of Southwest Berrien County. It was established in 1999, and protects over 2,000 acres of land in our area. They frequently partner with local businesses, land owners, municipalities, and state/federal organizations to to educate and guide community members on land preservation and protection. “Chikaming Open Lands envisions a Southwest Michigan that is environmentally healthy, economically vibrant, and naturally beautiful.”
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM contributor
