Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, in partnership with Vermont Public
MONTPELIER — If you’ve ever seen pages of a children’s book laminated and posted along a walking path, then you’ve seen StoryWalk.
Anne Ferguson of Montpelier came up with the idea almost 20 years ago. It started as a project with her local library to promote reading and spending time outside.
Now, StoryWalk has spread to more than 13 countries.
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Q: What is a StoryWalk?
A: You take a children’s picture book, cut it apart, laminate it, and Velcro the pages to stakes. And then you put the stakes along a path in the woods. And so then you could go for a walk, read a book at the same time, and be together out in nature.
Q: What made you want to create StoryWalk?
A: I was trying to think about ways to encourage physical activity, particularly walking. Walking helps you in so many ways. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. And I wanted to figure out a way to reach adults through their children. So I tried a variety of things. And if I had an activity where the children were busy, then the adults just stood around. So I needed to figure out an activity where the parents or caregivers had to be as involved as the children. So that’s when I came up with this idea.
Q: What’s the goal of StoryWalk?
A: Whether you read a StoryWalk or not, what matters is getting outside, getting outdoors in nature. I have have this one saying, ‘GOED’ — Get Outdoors Every Day. And my friend Sam, who’s in his late 80s, I’ll see him across the street from me, and he’ll yell, ‘GOED!’ because he knows that I believe in getting outdoors every day.
Q: Before you retired, you worked in chronic disease prevention for the Vermont Department of Health. Did your time there influence your creation of StoryWalk?
A: Yes. I worked with families, and I knew the importance of learning how to read, and being excited about reading, and how that impacted for children as they started school. And I also knew that the role of the parent in getting children excited about reading was vital. And so that was a huge factor in the back of my mind as I was creating StoryWalk.
Q: I heard StoryWalk has gone global?
A: Oh, they’re everywhere. All 50 states and over 13 countries. Pakistan, New Zealand, just all over the world. I came up with the idea in 2007. I said, ‘Well, anybody that wants it can run with it.’ And they have.
Q: Do you profit at all from this?
A: I don’t. I don’t make a penny. And that’s just fine.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory of StoryWalk?
A: When I first started doing this project, I tried to figure out a way to put out a little comment book so I could get feedback. I didn’t necessarily want criticism, but I was open to it. I really loved it when one kid wrote in the comment book, “I liked the other book better.” And I thought, ‘That’s great, because that means they’re checking out the different books.’ And then, you know, here I’ve been laboring over how to pick a book for children to get the parents out walking. And then this guy writes, “I’m 54 and and I love StoryWalk”. So it wasn’t for the kids or the parents at all. It was just out there for everyone. And that realization was really great.
Q: What’s the secret to making something like this happen?
A: I was so lucky because I work with so many partners to make this happen. Between the libraries and schools and parks and recreation. I’m just very lucky because so many people understood how important what I was trying to do was. So I think the secret to all things is start with something you really, really believe in, and run with that. And don’t be afraid of having a goofy idea.