Permanent StoryWalk coming to Terra Cotta Conservation Area

Local residents will soon be able to enjoy a good read while strolling through nature.

The Halton Hills Public Library is partnering with the Orangeville Public Library and Credit Valley Conservation to launch Tales on the Trails StoryWalk. The initiative will soon be a permanent fixture at Terra Cotta Conservation Area, along with Island Lake Conservation Area in Orangeville.

A StoryWalk is a simple concept. Laminated pages of a storybook are placed in areas with high foot traffic for everyone to read along and enjoy as they walk. The local library has historically installed them in the libraries themselves, business windows and parks.

“The official launch of the program is going to be mid-June,” Children’s Services Librarian Dani Austin told HaltonHillsToday. “Environmental literacy is a really big [goal]. I think during COVID we saw in our own community this real desire to re-engage with the outside world.”

CVC program assistant for events and experiences Michelle McCaffrey echoed Austin's remarks.

She added that the initiative "encourages outdoor fitness and engagement with nature, facilitates opportunities for community members to share creative content and connect with local authors, and provides a space to showcase stories relevant to our watershed community."

No inaugural book has been decided yet. But, once launched, a new story will be featured on the trails every month, year-round. 

Pages will be magnetically mounted to pedestals, and the stations on the trail will be made of sustainable materials. 

Councillor Alex Hilson, who sits on the library board alongside colleague Bob Inglis, praised the initiative during the most recent council meeting. 

“If you haven’t looked into it, it’s just a very worthwhile way to spend some recreational time,” Hilson said.

The Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier Vermont is the originator of the StoryWalk concept. Since then, all 50 U.S. states and several countries – including Germany, South Korea and Malaysia and more – have their own versions. 

The Halton Hills Public Library adopted its own StoryWalk in 2019. They have feature works like Move Together by Kelly Fritsch and Anne McGuire and If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie with Nahanni Shingoose.