The Rotary Clubs of North Delta, Tsawwassen and Ladner are celebrating the third year of their “StoryWalk” installations aimed at fostering a love of reading and promoting literacy in the community.
Installed in 2021 in conjunction with the Delta Literacy Committee and with the support of the City of Delta’s parks, recreation and culture department, the StoryWalk program introduces young minds to the joy of reading as they stroll through the woods in North Delta Community Park (adjacent to the North Delta Recreation Centre perking lot), along the Millennium Trail in Ladner (starting behind Neilson Grove Elementary) and inside the fenced dog area at Beach Grove Park in Tsawwassen.
At each location, laminated pages from a children’s book are mounted to display stands placed along an outdoor path. As participants follow the route, they are directed from one page to the next, making the story come to life as they walk.
“The StoryWalk program combines the joys of reading and the outdoors, offering an engaging literary experience for both children and adults,” the clubs said in a joint press release.
The books are changed each month, offering a year-round opportunity to “replace screen time with green time,” according to a 2021 City of Delta press release.
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The program was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont in 2007 in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Since then, StoryWalks have been installed in all 50 states, across Canada and in a dozen other countries around the world.
Promoting education and literacy is a key part of Rotary’s mission, both here in Delta and around the world. According to recent statistics cited in the clubs’ press release, 776 million people over the age of 15 are considered illiterate, accounting for 17 per cent of the world’s population.
Embracing the StoryWalk program is just one more way the Rotary Clubs of North Delta, Tsawwassen and Ladner are working to support literacy across Delta.
“The StoryWalk program provides an excellent opportunity to bring our communities together and nurture the love for reading among children and adults,” Rob Bougie, past president of the Rotary Club of North Delta, said in a press release.
“We believe that education and literacy are fundamental to building strong and thriving communities, and we’re excited to participate in this initiative.”
At last check, the books at each location were Leif and the Fall by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant (North Delta Community Park), Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak (Millennium Trail) and The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright (Beach Grove Park).
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