Katie Byrne, her kids Taylor Byrne, Devon Byrne, and Adrian Byrne, and Sophia Stephighson read a couple pages on the trail.

Kids are invited to walk the Storybook Trail at Springfield Township Library.
“It combines books and reading with the park and physical activity,” said Cathy Forst, library director. “It’s a good use of the Shiawassee Basin Preserve property.”
“It combines the beauty of the Shiawassee preserve with educational opportunities,” said Jean Rawe, Friends of the Library member.
The gravel trail is about a third of a mile, with about 16 stops along the way. At each stop is a stand with two pages of a picture book mounted inside, along with suggested activities. Children walking the trail stop and read at each stop, and finish the book by the end of the trail.
The first story on the trail is about creatures in a pond. The story will change every month of so, based on events such as the upcoming Butterfly festival as well as changing seasons.
It’s a joint project of the township library and Springfield Parks and Recreation, with funding donated by Friends of the Parks and Friends of the Library, Forst said.
Township Board members Judy Hensler and Laura Moreau heard about the idea, and Parks and Rec Director Sarah Richmond researched it online. Mike Forst, township property manager, led the design and build project.
“A lot of people worked on it,” Rawe said.
– Phil Custodio