By: Stephen McCollum

[Editor’s Note: John Disher, Community Outreach Manager for IU Health’s Healthy Community Alliance contributed to this article. Also some content was contributed by Josselyn Schick.]

One step at a time is a storied adage. The Blackford Greenway has united step and story in the new Story Walk project—a series of outdoor weatherproof housings featuring a children’s book displayed along a stretch of the Greenway on the north edge of Hartford City.

Last year the Healthy Community Alliance (HCA) of IU Health’s East Central Region met with Blackford Greenway and several other partners, including Purdue Extension, Blackford County Community Schools, and Community and Family Services to explore ways to encourage residents, including families with children, to take advantage of this outdoor resource.

Fred Hoffman, Greenway Director, said that several amenities had been added to the 2-mile section of trail since it opened in 2018.

“We installed some benches, a faculty member at Indiana Wesleyan University put in about 20 bluebird houses, and the Purdue Extension began a signage project to identify trees and plants,” he said.

“The HCA does an annual Community Health Needs Assessment in tandem with the hospital,” says John Disher, Community Outreach Manager for the Healthy Community Alliance. The HCA’s mission is to assist communities to find ways to address a variety of health risks, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. 

Once the HCA working group identified the Story Walk as a valuable addition to the Greenway, the Public Library joined in to identify and provide the books. The hospital funded the purchase of materials, and Greenway volunteers mapped the location for a series of 20 housings, or viewing stations, spaced 40 feet apart. The installation occurred in the fall of 2019.

“I want to choose books for Story Walk that will reflect the spirit of families being outdoors together,” said Amy Smith, children’s librarian at the Hartford City Public Library. “The Story Walk complements the library’s own Nature Play Park that has play equipment, paths, and a splash pad.”

Smith chose Feathers for Lunch as the first Story Walk book. It’s about a cat that escapes the house and begins looking for a bird for lunch. Although the cat is foiled, the book does show and name many different common birds in colorful illustrations. To keep Story Walk current with both new and repeat visitors, Smith will choose new books periodically. The next installment will be I Went Walking, about a child who meets and is joined by many animals along the way.

“This was a new experience for me,” Smith said. “This time I am backing the pages on heavy poster board to help them weather better.”

“Story Walk generated interest right away,” noted Hoffman. “Parents are bringing their children out to explore, follow the story, and everyone gets fresh air and exercise together.”

Hartford City resident Molly Hunt’s children, Carter and Lyla, have enjoyed the Story Walk.

“I love the idea that as a parent, I am promoting reading and movement at the same time, and my kids are outdoors having fun,” she said. 

Another resident who has enjoyed the Greenway, Pam Wentz, says she appreciates having a resource close to home for two of her favorite activities, walking and biking. Her enthusiasm is a perfect endorsement for the HCA and its local partners’ promotion of better health.

“The more exercising opportunities there are in Blackford County, the healthier our community will become,” said Wentz. 

The HCA meets with community collaborators on a regular basis to seek additional ways to promote health and well-being. Meanwhile, take a Story Walk all the while minding the social distancing guidelines until such time as they are rescinded by the health officials.