(Villisca) With help from the 2025 AARP Community Challenge Grant and volunteers from the Villisca Lawn and Garden Club, the Villisca Community Betterment Association recently celebrated the grand opening of an exciting addition to the Harris Harmony Walking Trail in Villisca. Permanent metal story frames have been installed around the perimeter of the trail, inviting visitors to participate in reading a child’s story that unfolds as they walk along the path. The stories and displays will be updated by volunteers from the Villisca Public Library and the Enarson Elementary, in partnership with members of different organizations, to keep visitors engaged with a new topic each time they visit.
“I got the idea a few summers ago when I took my kids to the playground in Clarinda. I hadn’t seen a StoryWalk before, but the library there had installed one that followed the sidewalk and ended with a little free library. My kids loved the experience, so I started brainstorming how we could bring something similar to Villisca,” said VCBA Member Lori Burton. The AARP Community Challenge Grant, which focuses on making a more “livable community for residents of all ages, was an excellent opportunity to bring the idea to fruition.”
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson in 2007 and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, Vermont. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, but generously allowed to be used by public libraries across the nation at no charge.
When the VCBA heard they’d been awarded the project’s monies, they got straight to work. Volunteers donated their time in the weeks leading up to the StoryWalk’s installation to ensure the trail looked its best for the ribbon-cutting event. Trees were trimmed and cleared away, new landscaping was laid where each frame would be installed, concrete was poured, the wooden bridge got a new coat of stain and asphalt transition, and even the lamp-posts were scrubbed clean! Burton stated, “There were too many volunteers to list, but some key people went above and beyond; Fred and Janet Scholey, Joni McAlpin, and Lee Haidsaik are a few that come to mind”.
The Villisca Community Betterment Association hosted two events for the community leading up to the opening of the StoryWalk. The first, a work day to prepare the trail, on Saturday, September 133th, brought about a dozen volunteers together. The second, a ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony, was held on September 255th, and approximately 30 community members were in attendance. The ribbon cutting included Trail’s first story and fun activities and treats for visitors to enjoy along the way. The ISU Extension office hosted a stop on the trail, teaching kids fun facts about animals. Southwest Iowa Families shared information about mental health services and gave away fidgets for kids. Other fun activities included petting a horse and getting free snow cones.
The VCBA wants to thank the AARP Community Challenge Grant for making this project possible. Thanks also go to the many volunteers who donated their time and resources, and the following organizations for their contributions and participation in the StoryWproject’s success: Iowa AARP, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, Montgomery County Public Health, Southwest Iowa Families, SWV FFA Students, ISU Montgomery County Extension, the Villisca Public Library, and the Villisca Alumni Association and Friends.
