Sunny Meadow Farm StoryWalk, one of those small projects that quietly became a community favorite
If you have ever taken a walk near the community gardens at Sunny Meadow and noticed pages from a children’s book posted along the trail, you have found the StoryWalk. It is one of those simple ideas that just works. Kids move from page to page, families read together, and a short walk turns into a little adventure.
The StoryWalk first opened in July of 2013 as a partnership with the Chelmsford Public Library. At the time, the library announced a new trail opening July 27th with a ribbon cutting scheduled for Saturday, July 27th, at 9:00 a.m.
The concept is simple and, honestly, perfect for a place like Sunny Meadow. Each station holds a page from a children’s book so families can read the story while walking along the path. The library rotates the books throughout the year, so every once in a while there is a new story waiting along the trail.
It is a small loop, but it checks a lot of boxes. Kids get outside. Families read together. And the farm becomes part of the learning experience.
A few years after the trail opened, the original holders started to show their age. Sun, rain, snow, and New England weather will do that to anything left outside long enough.
That is when Girl Scout Jordan Harris stepped in.
Jordan built a prototype for new story page holders and showed it to the library and volunteers. The design was a big improvement and built to handle weather while making it easier to change out stories. Her project called for twenty holders to be built and installed along the trail.
When she first showed the prototype, she mentioned they were designed to last 20+ years. Judging by how they have held up, she did a pretty good job.
This is precisely the kind of project Scouting does so well. A young person sees something that could be improved, designs a solution, builds it, and leaves something behind that serves the community long after the project is finished.
And that is really what the StoryWalk has become. One of those quiet features that families discover and keep coming back to.
Preschool groups use it.
Families use it.
Grandparents walk it with their grandkids.
And it all happens while walking through open space at Sunny Meadow.
With the weather changing and the ability to start clearing trails by hand again, it looks like the StoryWalk trail will reopen this weekend. We still have a little bit of work to do widening parts of the trail and removing some overhanging branches, but that should be wrapped up quickly.
If you want to see the original announcement about the StoryWalk opening and ribbon cutting, you can find it here
https://www.facebook.com/chelmsfordlibrary/photos/join-us-at-the-ribbon-cutting-for-the-librarys-storywalk-the-childrens-departmen/571729112866500/
I will add a small photo gallery below showing some of the early installation work and the prototype that Jordan built for the new page holders.
Sunny Meadow has many little stories like this. It is nice to keep the history of these projects alive.
Original post from Sept 29 2018
WELCOME TO SUNNY MEADOW FARM
Hi, my name is Jordan Harris, I am a 3rd year Cadette from Chelmsford Girl Scout Troop #85000. I would like to welcome each of you, and thank you for coming today to the Grand Re-Opening of the Revitalized Storybook Trail.
There are some special people I would like to ask to
come up here next to me…
This project could not have been completed without
the guidance of Mr. Phil Stanway from Chelmsford
Open Space Stewardship and Mrs. Deborah Morrissey
from the Adams Library Children’s Room. These 2
People never hesitated to contribute their time, effort
and encouragement every time I had a question or
needed some help. Please come on up.
While they are joining me, I would also like to thank
Becky Herrmann, the Adams Library Director, for her
support and ability to help move this project toward
completion; Wally and Karen Michaud, with their time,
effort, construction training (and patience), as well as
their donations; Girl Scout Troop #60197 that very
generously donated to a sister Girl Scout whom they
had never met—what an amazingly selfless gesture; I
I am also thankful to Jackson Lumber and Home Depot
for various material donations, Girl Scouts from my
own troop for their support and physical labor, helping
to install and weatherproof the 20 display boards
Originally, this project was adopted as a fun way to
earn my Silver Award.
While considering and working
on the project, I found myself thinking more and more
about the people who brought reading into my life,
showed me how to enjoy reading and those that
enabled me to gain a love of reading.
Some of these people are my late grandfather, Robert Whitney, Sr.,
My grandmother Joanne Whitney, my late
Grandmother Sharon Bump and my grandfather Wally
Bump, my parents, of course, and my favorite
librarian, Mrs. Bonnie Smith Rankin
My hope is for this storybook trail to be maintained for
years to come with various books being exchanged on
a regular basis.
If anyone is interested in sponsoring a
future book, please come see me today at the end of
the trail.
It is with all the support and assistance mentioned,
that I now can say… The Storybook Trail at Sunny
Meadow Farm is open to the public. May the children
of Chelmsford Be ALWAYS reading!