Area park gets grant funds to create a trail with storybook signage

Grant funding from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Recreational Trails Grant Program will fund a new trail for families to enjoy at Goshen Township Memorial Park in Mechanicsburg.

The $5,160.80 granted to the park will fund the trail and trailhead construction, maintenance, and the storybook signage along the trail. It will be similar to the Storybook Trails that have been built at 11 state parks across Ohio, including the Storybook Trail at John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs.

“These trails give families a new and exciting way to get out and spend time,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz says. “I’m excited that even more communities will be able to build these trails and encourage children to learn in a really fun way, all while teaching them the importance of protecting our natural resources.”

Goshen Township Memorial Park was one of five to receive the recent funding, which totaled more than $28,000. The Recreational Trials Program is a reimbursement grant program that provides up to 80 percent of project funding and is federally funded.

An interactive map of Storybook Trails and similar story walks – like the one that will be built in Mechanicsburg – throughout the state can be found here.

The idea behind the trails is to bring the stories to life while getting kids and families moving together and enjoying the natural surroundings offered throughout the many parks across Ohio.

“Developing an appreciation for reading at a young age is so important for children as they grow, and we are excited to award these grants to help more communities combine the love of reading with the love of nature,” says Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

First Lady Fran DeWine has been an advocate for children’s literacy, building a collaboration between the Storybook Trails and the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library, which is a statewide initiative she has led in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The goal is to ensure children enter the classroom ready to succeed by providing a free book to registered children every month from birth through age 5.

To register, visit the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library website.