By Nick Kuzma, Marcellus, N.Y. (NCC News)- Marcellus Free Library and the Baltimore Woods Nature Center are teaming up to do something special for the community.
This November, the two Marcellus institutions are throwing a story walk, featuring the book “Giving Thanks”, written by Jonathan London and illustrated by Gregory Manchess.
“This is the first of some future collaborations we’ve got planned with them,” said Marcellus Free Library Director Jake Widrick.
The the story walk features printed out and laminated pages of the book, with each page posted in order throughout one of their six trails.
This allows the nature center patrons to enjoy both a beautiful walk and a picture book that has connections to Thanksgiving.
The Baltimore Woods Nature Center is located at 4007 Bishop Hill Road in Marcellus.
The story walk will continue until November 30, with more library-nature center collaborations coming in 2019.
(TRACK 1)
Right off Bishop Hill Road in the small town of Marcellus……The Baltimore Woods Nature Center has been around for over 50 years……The Center maintains 182 acres of land and allows for people of all ages to connect with nature……And this year,they are using one of their six trails to celebrate both the importance of nature andNovember’s biggest holiday…
(STANDUP)
“When you ask somebody what comes to mind when they think about Thanksgiving,they usually say two things…being with family, as well as being appreciative for all that you have. These values are here evident in Marcellus, New York where the staff here at the Baltimore Woods as well as the staff at a local public library are coming together to do something special for the community, with a Thanksgiving twist.”
(SOT: Jake Widrick, Director at Marcellus Free Library)
There’s some really great, supportive organizations in the community that make great partners for us…Baltimore Woods especially. This is the first of some future collaborations we’ve got planned with them.
(TRACK 2)
This collaboration includes Jonathan London and Gregory Manchess’s book “Giving Thanks”……The Marcellus Free Library donated the children’s book and the staff at the Baltimore Woods posted each page throughout one of their trails……This allows children and their families to enjoy walking a beautiful trail while also reading a book closely that is closely associated with the values of Thanksgiving……Baltimore Woods Executive Director Whitney Lash-Marshall took me and Jake Widrick on the story walk……She gave me some context as to what I was seeing…
(SOT: Whitney Lash-Marshall)
“This is a stand of what we call secondary forest. So this used to be a farm, much like next door and some of it was pasture for cattle as well. So a lot of this is growing back for a second time so there’s a lot of much smaller trees. A lot of sugar maples back here,ash, and some other trees that come up really fast after its been cleared.”
(Track 3)
Well, though the trail looked more like Christmas time than Turkey Day, London and Manchess’s book…which is about a boy and his father giving thanks for nature,certainly can put anyone in the mood for Thanksgiving……The story walk remains open through November30… more events between Marcellus Free Library and the Baltimore Woods Nature Center are coming in 2019……In snowy Marcellus, I’m Nick Kuzma, NCC News
