Story walk at Jorgens Park Preserve
By Meredith Miller
Visitors to Scandinavia’s Jorgens Park Preserve can now enjoy a story walk, recently installed by the Scandinavia Public Library.
The walk is part of the library’s “On your mark, get set, Read!” summer programming, and is a great way to combine literacy and outdoor activity.
“The story walk is named ‘Walk with Donnie’ in honor of Donnie Jensen who was a Scandinavia Public Library and Friends of Jorgens Park Preserve board member,” said Library Director Sue Vater Olsen. “Donnie volunteered many hours in support of both the library and Jorgens Park. It’s my hope that people can enjoy the story walk and remember Donnie’s life.”
The story walk is located on a 0.4-mile loop trail beginning and ending east of the park’s picnic pavilion.
As families walk the trail, they can read pages from a children’s picture book placed sequentially along the trail. A new book will be displayed each month through the summer for visitors to enjoy.
Nature enthusiasts will walk through several ecological zones, such as lake edge, deeply-shaded upland forest and open prairie, as they follow the story walk. Keen eyes will spot a wide variety of wildlife too, including frogs and turtles; butterflies, dragonflies, and many other insects; an array of bird species, and several mammal species as well.
The picnic pavilion provides excellent viewing of the ospreys raising their family on their lakeside nesting platform, and an outstanding view of Silver Lake can be gained from the public fishing pier located below the pavilion.
Jorgens Park Preserve is located off State Highway 49 on the north side of Scandinavia. For more information about the park, visit the Jorgens Park Preserve or the Friends of Jorgens Park Preserve pages on Facebook.
The Scandinavia Public Library is located at 349 N. Main Street in Scandinavia. For more information about programs at the library, see www.scandinavialibrary.org or visit the Scandinavia Public Library Facebook page.