Henderson Libraries Blend Reading, Walking on Three Outdoor Trails | The Locally Times
Three StoryWalks offer outdoor reading, including a 1.05-mile trail at Cornerstone Park with stories updated monthly.
Henderson Libraries is operating a program that blends outdoor recreation with literacy through three distinct StoryWalk installations across the city. According to the library’s website, the program places sequential story boards along public walking paths, allowing residents to read a book page by page as they walk the trail. The program is based on The StoryWalk® Project, which was originally created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont. Library records state the concept was developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library to encourage reading and physical activity. ## Two Trails Offer Monthly Updates in Park Settings Two of the three Henderson StoryWalks are located in city parks and are updated with new stories each month. The Cornerstone Park StoryWalk, located at 1600 Wigwam Pkwy, is the longest of the three. It features 18 story boards placed along a 1.05-mile paved loop trail that encircles a body of water. The library estimates a completion time of 30 minutes for this walk. A second installation is located at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve at 350 E. Galleria Dr. This StoryWalk also includes 18 story boards but follows a much shorter 0.03-mile trail around the preserve’s Pond #1. The estimated time to complete this walk is 15 minutes. According to the library’s description, the preserve is home to migratory waterfowl and resident desert birds, offering a nature-focused setting for the reading experience. ## Water Street Installation Integrates Story into Urban Core The third StoryWalk is integrated into the city’s urban environment on Water Street, which the library notes was once the commercial and civic heart of Henderson. This trail begins in front of Azzurra Cucina Italiana at 322 S. Water St. and consists of 15 story boards along a 0.06-mile path. The library estimates a 20-minute completion time for this walk. Unlike the park-based locations, the Water Street StoryWalk is updated quarterly. The placement of this installation brings the library’s literacy programming directly into a downtown commercial district. The program is listed on the Henderson Libraries website alongside other community initiatives, such as Homebound Services, positioning it as part of the library's wider mission to engage residents outside of its physical buildings.